Kaūpūlehu marine reserve reopening delayed, fishing access waits longer

The Kaūpūlehu Marine Reserve will stay closed past the July 2026 window as the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hui Kahuwai and other community partners finish the Kaūpūlehu Fisheries Management Plan, implementation steps and a co-management agreement that will govern the Kona Coast waters. Reopening is expected later in 2026, extending the wait for fishers who had counted on the reserve’s return to harvest after the 10-year Try Wait rest period.

The reserve runs for about 3.6 miles from Kīkaua Point to Kalaemanō, from the shoreline to 20 fathoms, or about 120 feet. The rules now being drafted would replace the marine reserve with the Kaūpūlehu Fisheries Management Area, a shift meant to create a socially and ecologically sustainable subsistence fishery at Kaūpūlehu and Kūkio while still protecting culturally and ecologically important resources.

Multiple drafts of the fisheries management plan and proposed administrative rules have been open for review since 2023, with public scoping meetings held in June 2025. The Board of Land and Natural Resources approved moving forward with public hearings in February 2026, and a public hearing was scheduled for April 7, 2026. The revised timeline now depends on finishing the management plan, settling implementation details and completing the agreement between state managers and community stewards.

The longer wait comes after a closure that began in 2016, when local residents and partners backed the 10-year Try Wait rest period. DLNR biological monitoring found resource fish biomass increased by as much as 200% in some areas during the closure. Hui Kahuwai Executive Director Rebecca Most said the group remains committed to reopening the area to fishing in 2026 and is still helping with outreach materials, education and co-management work. DLNR West Hawaii Aquatic Biologist Chris Teague said the extra time is needed to preserve the gains from the rest period while people are still able to fish responsibly in an important place.

Years of community organizing, including the Kaūpūlehu Marine Life Advisory Committee and a 1998 Integrated Resources Management Plan, helped shape later action. The West Hawaii Fishery Council includes community involvement in management decisions and scientific research from Upolu Point to Ka Lae.