Discover Ancient FishpondsO‘ahu

ANCIENT HAWAIIAN FISHPONDS are a good example of aquaculture at its finest.

Hawaiians are the only Polynesians known to harness the ocean’s bounty using brackish-water ponds near the ocean for stocking and harvesting fish. The system allowed Hawaiians to control algae, a major food source for fish.

During ancient times when the ponds were controlled by the ali‘i (chiefs), most of the fish was reserved for their consumption.

Only a few of the 100 or so

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fishponds that once existed on O‘ahu remain today. HE‘EIA FISHPOND is an 88-acre brackish-water pond that was in use as late as the 1950s.

Further north on Kamehameha Highway is the HUILUA FISHPOND, located on the east side of Kahana Bay. The pond is a National Historic Landmark and is usually only visible at low tide.

The MOLI‘I FISHPOND, owned by Kualoa Ranch, is the only one that is still operational and commercially successful.

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