Education is key to preserving Hanauma, say profs
by Sharael Feist
Ka Leo Staff Writer
1995
Because of overcrowding and misuse of Hanauma Bay, visitors and local residents may soon be paying an entrance fee in order to preserve it.
University of Hawaii professors, James Mak and James E.T. Moncur, suggested the entrance fee as a way of restoring Hanauma Bay. Mak said that his main concern is to “maintain the bay for future generations.”
After seeing a lot of publicity on the declining condition of Hanauma Bay, Mak decided to have his Hawaiian economics class do a research project last semester on the condition of the bay and find out what could be done to protect it.
Moncur assisted by having his environmental economics class gather the data needed for the research, such as the number of daily visitors and the percentage of tourists versus local residents.
“It is important that we figure out a way to use our resources without destroying them,” Moncur said. Mak and Moncur presented these findings at the 2nd Global Conference on Tourism in Montreal, Canada in September 1994.
Earlier this month they produced an updated report of the findings from their research project. The research project showed that the most feasible way to restore the bay would be charging an entrance fee.
Moncur and Mak concluded that the main problems with Hanauma Bay are:
- The reefs are dying because people walk on them.
- A large suntan oil slick covers the bay.
- The fish have become more aggressive with other fish and with visitors.
- The biodiversity of the bay is decreasing.
- Crustaceans and other marine life have disappeared.
These problems arise from overcrowding and the lack of education of visitors, they said. The report cited an earlier study suggesting that the “recommended optimal use level” of the bay is 1,363 visitors per day. The Hanauma Bay Task Force has reported that the number of visitors to the bay is between 4,000 to 4,500 per day.
The entrance fee should reduce the number of visitors to the bay. The funding received from the entrance fee will be used to provide proper education, so visitors will avoid doing things harmful to the environment – such as walking on the reef or feeding the fish the wrong type of food. Examples of inappropriate fish foods include peas, bread and leftovers from picnics.
The funding would go towards the construction of a visitors information center, which will inform guests as to the proper ways to protect the bay. The funding would also pay for salaries of educators and park maintenance staff, according to the report.
Mak said the biggest problem is that people are usually unaware they are harming the natural environment of the bay.
“Education is the key to success for the future of Hanauma Bay,” Mak said.
He said that some local residents are against the idea of charging an entrance fee, even though there would be a lower kama’aina rate. The proposed fee is approximately $5 for tourists and $3 for kama’aina.
There also might be a special for kama’aina that would allow them a free entrance on the first Sunday of the month.
He said that in the long run it would be beneficial to local residents because it would:
- Protect the park’s natural environment for current and future users.
- Allow resonable access for local residents.
- Generate revenues to pay for park-related maintenance and capital expenditure programs.
- Enforce current restrictions on bay use.
Mak and Moncur are still researching the effects tourism has had on Hanauma Bay. They said the new proposal could take effect within the next year and a half if passed by City Council.