A 600-year-old Hawaiian fishpond that faced the possibility of development is now permanently protected as a community conservation site after a $4 million charitable gift from Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg helped fund its acquisition. Alakoko Fishpond, also known as Alekoko or Menehune Fishpond, covers 102 acres in Niumalu near Līhuʻe on Kauaʻi. It features a 2,700-foot-long kuapā, or fishpond wall, and is the largest remaining fishpond on Kauaʻi. The Trust for Public Land purchased the property on November 17, 2021, and then conveyed it to the community-based nonprofit Mālama Hulē‘ia for community and cultural stewardship.
The deed ensures the land will remain dedicated to conservation, education and community purposes in perpetuity.
The conservation effort accelerated after Alakoko and its surrounding 102 acres were placed on the market in January 2021, raising concerns that the culturally important landscape could be developed. More than 5,500 people signed an online statement supporting permanent protection, while hundreds of community members and organisations submitted written testimony. The Kauaʻi County Open Space Commission unanimously supported the project in February 2021, but securing county funding would have required additional steps. Chan and Zuckerberg then committed a $4 million charitable gift through the Chan Zuckerberg Kauaʻi Community Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. The site’s historical importance was formally recognised when Alakoko was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The conservation purchase was completed by the Trust for Public Land on November 17, 2021.
Because of its vulnerability to environmental degradation and development, in 2009, the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation designated it one of Hawaiʻi’s most endangered historic places.
TPL says the mangroves had engulfed parts of the fishpond and hindered native natural systems and species. The Trust for Public Land and Mālama Hulē‘ia had already been working to protect the site and had been seeking public funding for its acquisition. With the property on the open market, TPL also sought private philanthropic support. The donation provided full funding for the conservation purchase, transaction expenses and support for the missions of TPL and Mālama Hulē‘ia, allowing the purchase to move ahead quickly. The fishpond had deteriorated over decades as invasive mangroves spread through the area. Alakoko is adjacent to the Hulēʻia National Wildlife Refuge and forms part of a wider wetland and estuary environment supporting native fish, limu, coastal vegetation and endangered Hawaiian water birds. TPL then transferred the property to Mālama Hulē‘ia, a community-based nonprofit that works to restore the Hulēʻia ecosystem and promote environmental stewardship based on Hawaiian values. Chan and Zuckerberg did not receive ownership of the land. Instead, their charitable donation made it possible for TPL to secure the property and transfer it into long-term community stewardship. The deed requires Alakoko to be used for conservation, education and community purposes in perpetuity. Mālama Hulē‘ia plans to continue restoring the fishpond, surrounding wetlands and wildlife habitat while developing the site as a place for community gatherings and cultural activities.
Before the property was permanently protected, Mālama Hulē‘ia had already spent four years working with the community to restore the fishpond and its surrounding native wetland and estuary.
A working fishpond and outdoor classroom for future generations
TPL says the project is intended to create both sustainable food and learning opportunities while protecting 102 acres of culturally and environmentally significant land. The long-term vision goes beyond preserving Alakoko as a historic landmark. Mālama Hulē‘ia plans to restore it as a working fishpond where fish and seafood can once again be grown and harvested, helping provide a sustainable food source for Kauaʻi. The organisation also intends to use the site as an outdoor classroom where students can learn about native ecosystems, traditional Hawaiian aquaculture, history and culture. The restoration is expected to be a multi-generational effort, with the community continuing to care for the fishpond and surrounding ecosystem.