Management of Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District

Task Force Summary Report and Final Recommendations

Final Amendments to Pupukea MLCD Administrative Rule Implemented March 25, 2002

Aerial photo of Pupukea showing boundaries of MLCD.

The Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD) is a designated marine protected area on O'ahu's north shore. Established in 1983, this MLCD includes two major swimming areas, Sharks' Cove and Three Tables as well as the nearshore region just north of Sharks' Cove. The tide pool to the left of Sharks' Cove is not currently part of the MLCD but negotiations are underway with the City and County of Honolulu to turn this portion of the shoreline over to the State to manage.

Under current regulations, pole-and-line fishing for finfish is permitted from the shoreline and taking of limu is also permitted. Spearfishing without SCUBA is also permitted within the MLCD and SCUBA divers may transit the district with fish taken outside the area. The use of nets is currently allowed in the northern portion of the MLCD.

Pupukea is heavily used by divers and shoreline fishermen during the summer months, and in recent years the level of activity at the adjacent park has increased dramatically. In addition to the numerous user groups vying for access to the nearshore waters, the park has gained the attention of the local community due to a new City and County of Honolulu Design and Construction Department proposal to move a roadway drainage culvert to empty directly into the MLCD. Parking at the County Park is hard to find after 8:00 a.m. and the high levels of use have resulted in heavy erosion of the grassy areas which washes the exposed red soil into the nearshore waters.

The various user groups in the areas have all expressed concerns for the level of activity that is occurring at the site and the safety of all users due to the mix of ongoing activities. State, County and elected officials from this district have met occasionally over the past six months to try to reassess the current management of the Park and adjacent MLCD. As a part of this process, initial discussions with community groups have begun to look at the current regulations and determine if they are adequate or need to be changed.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is looking at a number of changes to the current management structure of the area to increase the safety of all users and better manage the marine resources. In an effort to begin these discussions, the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) drafted a revised set of regulations for management of the MLCD and has begun the long process of obtaining public input into the rule changes. The proposal, as it currently exists, would be to continue to allow pole-and-line fishing for akule in the district but prohibit the use of spears or nets within the MLCD boundaries. This proposal was drafted as a way to begin the discussions about what the community wants to see happen in this marine protected area.

The Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) is also looking into the potential need to limit commercial SCUBA diving activities and training in the MLCD due to the ever-increasing numbers of divers using this resource. An additional consideration will be given to the need to ban the use of motorized vessels in the confined waters of the coves.

The process to change these regulations is significant and involves numerous hours of public input prior to the revisions of any regulations. DLNR is working with Senator Robert Bunda to establish a task force to review the current management at Pupukea MLCD and make recommendations on what, if any, new regulations should be established. After the task force makes its recommendations, DLNR must still go through a public hearing process before any new rules become law.

Now is the time for the North Shore community to have a say in how they want their designated marine protected area managed. DLNR is working with this community to better manage the marine resources in their backyard.

The meeting summaries may be accessed from the links below in PDF format.

• Summary of the 1st Pupukea Task Force Meeting, September 8, 1999.

• Summary of the 2nd Pupukea Task Force Meeting, October 13, 1999.

• Summary of the 3rd Pupukea Task Force Meeting, November 10, 1999.

• Summary of the 4th Pupukea Task Force Meeting, December 1, 1999.

• Summary of the 5th Pupukea Task Force Meeting, December 15, 1999.*

• Summary of the 6th Pupukea Task Force Meeting, February 1, 2000.

• Summary of the 7th Pupukea Task Force Meeting, February 16, 2000.

• Summary of the 8th Pupukea Task Force Meeting, April 19, 2000.

• Summary of the 9th Pupukea Task Force Meeting, May 3, 2000.

• Task Force Summary Report and Final Recommendations

*Due to an oversight, the December 15, 1999 meeting minutes were left out of the original sequence. The sequence numbers have been corrected to compensate.