Ko'ie'ie Fish Pond

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This ancient Hawaiian fishpond is one of the engineering marvels of the Islands. This and ponds like it were built by hand, made by stacking large lava boulders on top of each other, creating a wall that stood from the ocean floor to several feet above the high tide level. A wooden-pole sluice gate allowed fresh water and small fish to go in and out but kept the larger, captured fish securely inside. Thus, the fish were raised for the Ali'i (royalty) and special occasions. This particular pond is over 6 acres large and could produce more than 2,000 pounds a fish a year. Local neighborhood groups are currently working to recover the original lava boulders of the ruined walls of the pond to restore it to its original condition.