Keliʻi Alapaʻi passes throwing-net tradition to son Kanoe
Kanoe Alapaʻi-Hashimoto waded into the ankle-deep water off Hāʻena on Kauaʻi’s North Shore, searching for limu with a fishing net wrapped around his waist and shoulders. The seaweed is food for manini, a small light-greenish yellow fish with black stripes that is a staple of the local diet.
Alapaʻi-Hashimoto, accompanied by his father Keliʻi Alapaʻi, watched the water for ripples signaling that fish were grazing on the reef’s edge. He spent the next 15 minutes treading lightly, careful that his shadow and footsteps would not scare the fish. He then threw his net, which spiraled out and sank.
When he pulled it up, the net held a dozen manini — enough to feed his family, the Associated Press reported.
The Alapaʻis are subsistence fishermen who practice as their ancestors taught them. The Associated Press reported that they take only what they need, use traditional techniques such as the throwing net, and remain mindful of how their activities affect the nearshore ecosystem. The ocean has served as the family’s icebox for generations, according to the Associated Press.