The Marine 30x30 Pooled Fund

Gary Eyring, Flickr

The Marine 30x30 Pooled Fund

Hawai‘i is home to coral reefs and marine life that provide food, jobs, cultural connection, and a way of life for locals, while also supporting a billiondollar tourism economy. These irreplaceable natural resources are increasingly threatened by pollution, climate change, poor land use practices, and overfishing. A recent analysis revealed declines of up to 75 percent in some of Hawai‘i’s reef fish; in 2015, the state’s first mass bleaching event resulted in the loss of 90 percent of corals on some reefs.

To help restore the abundance of Hawai‘i’s ocean, the State of Hawai‘i and locally-based philanthropy have partnered to support Hawai‘i’s Marine 30x30 Initiative, which calls for effectively managing Hawai‘i’s nearshore waters, with 30 percent established as marine management areas (MMAs) by 2030. Hawai‘i leads the nation as the first state working to achieve the international conservation goal of protecting 30 percent of the planet by 2030. Leading scientists agree that this level of protection can help prevent mass extinctions, preserve critical ecosystem services, and help avert the worst impacts of climate change.

In 2016, Hawai‘i Governor David Ige announced the Sustainable Hawai‘i Initiative to the IUCN World Conservation Congress, laying out five ambitious goals, one of which is the Marine 30x30 Initiative.

Since then, the State, nonprofit organizations, and communities have been laying the foundation for this initiative by creating scientific and cultural guidelines for future MMAs, supporting communities in their intent to design new management areas, and building a state team to help coordinate the effort.

With this work underway, Hawai‘i is now in a position to leverage this unprecedented political will, community involvement, and scientific and cultural expertise to support restoration of its marine resources for the

benefit of current and future generations. In today’s increasingly uncertain times, state resources are stretched more than ever, making philanthropic support to launch this effort that much more critical.

Holomua: Pathway to Marine 30x30 The State of Hawai‘i and its Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) are leading a broad community of public and private organizations in the Holomua: Pathway to Marine 30x30 Initiative. DAR and its partners will identify improvements needed in existing MMAs and work closely with communities to identify appropriate places and practices where improved management can restore abundance to nearshore waters. The Initiative will undertake the following activities: • Robust outreach: DAR and partners will produce and widely distribute materials describing the Initiative and convene events to engage communities in the 30x30 effort. This outreach will highlight the State’s current efforts and programs to help increase confidence in the State’s ability to carry out the 30x30 Initiative.

• Refining existing MMAs: The 30x30 Initiative team will seek advice from leading scientists, cultural experts, fishers, and a broad range of stakeholders

Kim Moa, courtesy ofKuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo

Restoring Abundance to Hawai‘i Marine Waters

to inform review of existing MMAs, create management plans, and recommend clarifications to management goals. The team will also work to simplify the state’s MMA classification system for improved public understanding and compliance.

• Designing new MMAs: Driven by input from communities and stakeholders, and informed by scientific and cultural experts, the Initiative will recommend new MMAs in nearshore waters, statewide, to reach the 30x30 target.

• Monitoring and evaluation: The Initiative will develop a statewide monitoring plan to inform and support adaptive management of MMAs, and will seek independent evaluation of its progress.

Marine 30x30 Pooled Fund: Bolstering State and Community Leadership To succeed, the Initiative needs engagement from local, state and federal government partners, and communities and organizations throughout Hawai‘i.

Philanthropy’s role is vital to sustain progress and partner participation by providing a financial anchor amid expected shifts in short-term government priorities. The Marine 30x30 pooled fund will provide grants and contracts to strengthen the collective work of Initiative partners, including:

catalyze successful outcomes requires effective communication with the full range of stakeholders and decision makers, including well-timed polling and research to develop strategic messaging.

• Ensuring a Strong Foundation in Science: The Marine 30x30 Initiative must incorporate leading scientific information to ensure that its MMAs will function as an ecological network, are informed by traditional knowledge, and are crafted with monitoring and enforcement in mind. Private funds can also help expand the role of community science and education programs like Hawai‘i’s successful Makai Watch program. The program empowers community members to identify and report marine resource rule violations, engaging communities in caring for their local resources and providing useful compliance data to state agencies.

• Setting the Stage for Good Governance: Coordinated, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, planning milestones, and transparent communication ensure greater efficiency and accountability among partners, timely progress toward shared goals, and ultimately, more successful outcomes. Philanthropy can support staffing and contracts to enhance interagency coordination and planning.

• Empowering Community Efforts: Community groups and networks of cultural practitioners throughout the Hawaiian Islands are reviving effective traditional stewardship practices. From Hā’ena, Kauai, to Miloli’i on Hawai’i Island, communities are collaborating with DAR and investing in improved, locally-driven marine management solutions. Philanthropic investment is needed to advance these efforts and scale up the Initiative to achieve the 30x30 goal.

• Leveraging Private Investments for Public Funding: Long-term conservation gains require public funding to sustain robust natural resource management programs at appropriate scale and durability. Philanthropic funds can support work to craft and advance measures to increase public funding for ocean conservation and management.

• Building a Movement: A strategic, well-researched communication and outreach plan is an important foundation of this statewide effort. Hawai‘i residents value their rich marine resources, with 90 percent viewing coral reefs as important to their culture. Harnessing this support to

Mike Hoppe, courtesy Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo

Philanthropic support is needed now to catalyze the public launch of the Initiative. A fund is being established at the Hawaii Community Foundation with an initial fundraising target of at least $3 million per year for the next ten years. The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund, and others are joining with Hawaii Community Foundation to launch the fund. The aim is to build a diverse portfolio of donors who share passion and vision for a resilient Hawai’i with vibrant reefs and marine life that benefit generations of residents and visitors alike.

Fund administered by:

Contact: Dana Okano, Program Director, Hawai‘i Community Foundation dokano@hcf-hawaii.org | 808-566-5541