‘Genius engineering’: the battle to save Hawaii’s historic fish ponds

Ku’uleini Keakealani, front left, works with volunteers to repair a fish pond wall. Photograph: Cecile Walsh

On a clear day, Ku’uleini Keakealani peers into the Kīholo fish pond on the west coast of Hawaii Island, Hawaii, and sees an abundance of fish.

It’s a sight for sore eyes – Keakealani knows all too well how the development of the Big Island has threatened delicate ecosystems, waterways, and Indigenous ways of life. Her ancestors were once stewards of this place.