Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 5, 1 May 2010 — A CARETAKER FOR MOʻOMOMI BAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A CARETAKER FOR MOʻOMOMI BAY

By Lisa Asato KaWai Ola Mae Poepoe knows Mo 'omomi B ay like the back of his hand. It was along this West Moloka'i shore that as a boy he was taught traditional fishing practices by his father and numerous other male figures. But not being able to ask questions - the elders wouldn't allow it - he didn't realize the value of what he was learning at the time. "Moi was one of the most important food fish at Mo'omomi when I used to fish with my dad, my uncles and my granduncles," said Poepoe, who wondered as a boy why it was that on their fishing trips they would walk past abundant schools of fish. "I couldn't understand that. All I could understand is, I'm going end up carrying the fish. I'm going to be way down the heaeh with a big bag on my shoulder walking all the way back past all these fish."

What he eame to realize is that he was learning pono, or proper, fishing practices, such as, "Don't fish too mueh in one spot," he says. "Let the fish recover." Poepoe has been passing on those years of accumulated knowledge through Hui Mālama o Mo'omomi, the nonprofit he co-founded with Wade Lee in 1993 with the aim of preventing further damage to the bay's fish population and resources. The group has helped to develop curriculum for schools, hosted school groups at the bay, conducted research and has published the popular Pono Fishing Calendar, a guide to good fishing behavior based on moon phases. "Today when we look at Mo'omomi, even though we have some species that have been overfished over the years, at least we're making an effort to educate the people as to what we ean do before the fish heeome extinct," said Poepoe. "We still have a ehanee for recovery." On April 9, Poepoe was honored with the annual Ho'okahiko Award, given by Duke's Waiklkl to recognize people that help to pass on the best of the traditions of Hawaiian culture. "The people that eame before me, they taught me a lot and they need to be recognized too," Poepoe said at the award ceremony. "A lot of them passed away, and nobody knows about them, but I'm the evidence of that today. I ean be proud of what they taught me. Everytime I go down to Mo'omomi, it's always a new experience. A new experience in an old land." "Mo'omomi is the example of continuing fishing tradition that's been lost in lot of other communities," he added. "A plaee where we ean depend on for food to support our families, and that's what I see that plaee as. When people have a hard time, they don't have money, they don't have anything to eat . . . Mo'omomi always provide - always did and always will." ■

Mac Poepoe, on right, was honored with the Ho'okahiko Award from Duke's Waikīkī on April 9, whieh also presented him with $4,000 for his nonprofit Hui Mōlama o Mo'omomi to eonhnue publishing its popular Pono Fishing Calendar. From left are: Ross Anderson, regional general manager of Duke's Waiklkī, University of Hawai'i scientist Alan Friedlander and Poepoe's wife, Karen. - Photo: LisaAsato