A review of aquaculture in Hawaii and its potential environmental impacts

Abstract

Hawaii has a long history of aquaculture. Before Europeans arrived in the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian people already had advanced forms of aquaculture with the use of fish ponds. These fish ponds were a symbol of power and society for the Hawaiian people. In modern Hawaii, fish ponds have been supplemented to some extent by industrial methods develop since the 1960s. These advancements have led to new technologies such as sea cage aquaculture of economically important carnivorous fin fish. The ecological impacts of these new technologies are potentially dangerous. Negative environmental impacts from aquaculture could damage the Hawaiian economy which relies on a healthy ocean for tourism and fisheries. A return to pre-contact principles of aquaculture could eliminate environmental impacts as well as imports needed by modern aquaculture. This could lead to a more sustainable form of food production for the Hawaiian Islands.