Kaneohe community resolves to protect Kapapa Island

KANEOHE—Community meetings to restore, preserve, protect, and manage Kapapa islet, a sanctuary for wildlife, have been underway since the beginning of this year. Increased visitation and a lack of concentrated rules and stewardship efforts have resulted in the wear and tear of the islet’s biological and cultural resources. The goals of these meetings are to form a stewardship group, involve the community in drawing up solutions to these problems, and establish an actual management plan of the islet.

Kapapa Island is located two miles off the shore of Kaneohe Bay. The island is approximately 10 acres in size and is inhabited by many seabirds. These seabirds fledge anywhere from 150 to 300 chicks a year—which is negatively affected by threats caused by humans, dog attacks, invasive plants, and discarded fishing gear. Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Wildlife Manager Jason Misaki explains: “Seabirds are really sensitive to the intensity and frequency of human activities. Adult birds can fly away, but the chicks are stationary in their burrows. The main thing is that having people around affects the nesting birds and the seabirds’ ability to reproduce.”

To add to this, the island is home to a heiau, culutural burial sites, and koa trees. These sites and historical features have also been desecrated and littered with trash and human waste.

On January 22, a ruling went into effect, protecting the island as a sanctuary and restricting access and prohibiting activities on the island to permit holders only. Although Kapapa was once used recreationally for fishing and camping, visitors are now limited to just fishing, and only around the perimeter of the island in the daytime. Otherwise, the islet is closed to access between sunset and sunrise and the extent to which additional activities are allowed by permit holders is presently being discussed at the meetings.

At this time, the DLNR has the authority to issue these permits, but eventually the Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) branch of the DLNR will have this authority. DOFAW says it recognizes the strong community ties to Kapapa and is open to recreational use of the islet within established guidelines and responsible stewardship.

As vice president of the Hui Waa Kaukahi, Debbie Wheeler spoke of the club’s overall feelings towards limiting access to the island.

“There should be limited access for commercial use but not for recreational use,” Wheeler says. “We feel if there were signs that identified certain locations that we shouldn’t be walking, then use of the island can be done in a responsible way. To limit access to the island is a disappointment. Kapapa is a good place for us to go out to and spend some time when kayaking in the bay.”

Mahealani Cypher, president of the Hawaiian Civic Club Koolaupoko Chapter, feels that overall there should be better enforcement of regulations on the island. “There shouldn’t be a total ban; there should be ways that people can visit the island and not harm it. They just need to enforce the rules about inappropriate activity,” Cypher says.

“Kapapa needs to be recognized as a place where people are buried. We need to preserve the cultural aspects. These places are important in our history and in our culture. People just need to be respectful of the island,” she adds.

Four meetings have already been held this year: the first meeting on February 3 and most recent one on June 16. On average, 20 people have attended each meeting. Attendees have included Atlapac and Windward Shorecasting fishing clubs, Hui Wa a Kaukahi kayak club, Hawaii Conservation Council, Kaneohe Bay Regional Council, University of Hawaii, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Hawaiian Civic Club Koolaupoko chapter, and families with ties to the island.

So far, the meetings have played a major part in providing the DOFAW and DLNR information on the questions and concerns of the community. “We’re meeting with the community to see how they feel about managing the island,” Misaki says. “We know how we want to manage it, but this is our opportunity to learn what they want. We encourage everyone that is pertinent to the process to come join us”

At the same time, the meetings allow the community to be educated about the management of Kapapa.

Jaap Eijzenga, DLNR Offshore Islands Seabird Sanctuary Coordinator, explains: “We are in the process of getting the community better informed and eventually we’ll have better informed visitors on the islet. Education is a very important part of the process.”

The DLNR and DOFAW’s goal to come up with a management plan by the end of this year seems hopeful because of the active involvement of the community at these meetings.

“The community participation has been really good,” Misaki says. “They’re taking ownership and responsibility for what’s going to happen to Kapapa in the future. We’re trying to find ways for the community to get to the island and use it how they want to; we’re pretty close to coming up with a management plan.”

For more information on the Kapapa meetings, contact DOFAW at (808) 973-9786.