Hawaii’s beauty attracts millions of visitors to our islands each year, and the onslaught of tourists hurts the places we enjoyed as children, especially our coral reefs. Many tourists enjoy reef walking, snorkeling, diving and fishing to experience the unique world of wonder that exists beneath our ocean’s surface. Unfortunately, the heavy use by tourists damages our coral reefs and many of the other places that held a special place in our childhoods.
Coral reefs and their sea life are amazing sights that provide essential habitat for our fisheries and other ocean life. They can be damaged by human contact, pollution, overfishing of parrotfishes and friends that keep seaweeds from overgrowing corals, and impacts of climate change, among others.
Hawaii lost about one-third of our coral reefs from the massive coral bleaching event that occurred just seven years ago. Marine scientists predict more frequent and severe loss of reefs unless we take urgent action now to protect and restore these resources that are so essential to our environment, tourism industry and quality of life. But there is hope — if we act now.
During the closures of the pandemic, all of us in Hawaii saw how nature rebounded in the absence of tourism. Many contributed to planning to ensure that when tourism came back, it would be more balanced. All that good work went out the window when the tourism flood gates opened. Before it is too late, we need to implement new solutions, including major expansions of work to protect and restore our reefs and other sensitive natural and cultural resources.
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A proposed “green fee” is one high priority solution. It allows the millions of Hawaii visitors to make a positive difference in protecting our diverse ecosystems with a $50 annual fee. Similar programs are currently in place and have seen tremendous success at sites like Kauai’s Ha‘ena State Park, which is a co-management agreement between a Native Hawaiian stewardship organization and the state. Their site-based user fees generate significant funding that supports place-based management — from mauka to makai.
Such programs empower our Native Hawaiian and local communities to steward their own places and provide the financial support to do so. In the process, we can continue to grow Hawaii’s green economy. We have effective working examples. We just need a mechanism to scale-up these successes for the rest of Hawaii.
Our reefs are expansive and extend well beyond our state parks; therefore it is essential that the state Legislature adopt a broad-based green fee program that enables and ensures protection and restoration of all our reefs and other sensitive resources beyond only those located within state park boundaries.
Without investment in reefs and coastlines — as well as ecosystems on land — we will continue to lose our valuable ecological and cultural resources. The state’s general fund will never have enough money to cover the scale of the need for conservation and restoration that exists throughout our islands. An annual investment from visitors can make a huge positive impact on our coral reefs and other treasured resources.
An ecosystem-based and community-based approach is essential to meet our environmental needs immediately. This means protecting resources and restoring places across Hawaii that are so special for our residents and visited by tourists.
Without broad-based funding provided by a green fee, our natural resources will continue to be neglected and our sacred places will be degraded. We owe it to our keiki and future generations to take action now so they can enjoy the healthy reefs, fisheries and aina that we knew as children.
Kawika Winter is a marine scientist, director of the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve and a leader with the Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance; Mark Hixon is a marine biology professor at University of Hawaii-Manoa who serves on scientific advisory committees for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance and the state Division of Aquatic Resources.
