State aquatic biologists want to use native fish and sea urchins to control invasive algae in the popular fishing and tourism area of Kahekili, Maui.

“;On Maui we're fortunate,”; said Dan Polhemus, aquatic resources director with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Two Caribbean species of invasive seaweed that have taken over the reefs there—Acanthophora spicifera and Hypnea musciformis—are favored by native fishes, he said.

“;We did feeding trials and determined native fishes like to eat them, and in some cases they like to eat them more than native macroalgae,”; he said.

  As a result, the division drafted a proposal to make it illegal to take the fish and urchins at Kahekili. Feeding them also would be prohibited since that would affect their appetite for algae.

The ban would include parrotfish (uhu), surgeonfish (manini, palani, kala) and enenue, known as chubs. Urchins also would be included in the ban.

Polhemus said the Land Board and the governor have approved the proposed rule, and hearings will be held next month.

It would be the first time the Land Department “;explicitly utilized an ecosystem services-based approach to fishery management,”; Polhemus said. “;We would like to get to the point where we have our own strong native ecosystems keeping these invasive species under control.”;

Resource management was based in the past on a “;commercial fisheries model,”; he said. “;What is the reproductive potential of the stock, and how many can we take?”;

The Division of Aquatic Resources formerly was called the Division of Fish and Game, reflecting the interest then in managing stock to catch more fish, said Robert Nishimoto, acting program manager for aquatic resources and environmental protection. The focus is now on managing resources to protect biodiversity, he said.

The aquatic resources officials were among state, federal, county and private representatives attending a recent workshop at the Honolulu Zoo on nuisance algal blooms.

Many meetings were held with fishermen, tourism and conservation groups before the new fishing limits were proposed at Kahekili, they said.

Fishermen are the most attuned to the resources, and it “;made sense to them”; because the more the fish eat the algae, the more abundant the fish will be,”; Polhemus said.

“;It worked culturally,”; he added, “;because we're not saying you can't fish. We're just saying there are certain things we'd like you not to take to get the algae reduced or off the reef.”;