Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan gave $4 million to save a 600-year-old Hawaiian fishpond from development—now the 102-acre historic site will remain protected for the community forever

A 600-year-old Hawaiian fishpond that once faced the possibility of development has been permanently protected, thanks in part to a $4 million charitable gift from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.

Alakoko Fishpond, also known as Alekoko or Menehune Fishpond, covers 102 acres in Niumalu near Līhuʻe on Kauaʻi. The historic site features a remarkable 2,700-foot-long kuapā, or fishpond wall, and is the largest remaining fishpond on Kauaʻi. The 600-year-old Alakoko Fishpond, also known as the Menehune Fishpond, is located just outside Lihue.

The Trust for Public Land purchased the property in November 2021 before transferring it to the community-based nonprofit Mālama Hulē‘ia. The deed ensures the land will remain dedicated to conservation, education and community purposes in perpetuity.


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A $4 million gift helped save the historic fishpond

The future of Alakoko became uncertain when the property was placed on the market in January 2021. Conservation groups and community members feared that the culturally important landscape could eventually be developed.

The Trust for Public Land and Mālama Hulē‘ia had already been working to protect the site and were seeking public funding to purchase it. More than 5,500 people signed an online statement supporting permanent protection, while hundreds of residents and organisations submitted written testimony.

The Kauaʻi County Open Space Commission unanimously supported the project in February 2021. But with the property already for sale, conservation groups also turned to private philanthropy.

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Chan and Zuckerberg then committed $4 million through the Chan Zuckerberg Kauaʻi Community Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation.

The donation provided funding for the conservation purchase, transaction expenses and support for the work of the Trust for Public Land and Mālama Hulē‘ia, helping the acquisition move forward.

A 600-year-old Hawaiian fishpond

Alakoko is believed to date back roughly six centuries. It is a traditional Hawaiian loko kuapā, a type of fishpond enclosed by a wall. Its 2,700-foot kuapā remains the defining feature of the site.

The fishpond is also known as Menehune Fishpond because Hawaiian legends say the Menehune, described in traditional stories as skilled builders, constructed it. That story is part of the site's cultural tradition rather than a literal archaeological account. A nonprofit called Malama Huleia had been taking care of the 102-acre property.

For generations, Alakoko provided fish and limu, or seaweed, while representing a traditional Hawaiian approach to food production and natural-resource management.

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Years of neglect damaged the ecosystem

The fishpond deteriorated over decades as invasive mangroves spread through the area. The mangroves eventually covered parts of the fishpond and interfered with native ecosystems and species.

Alakoko is located next to the Hulēʻia National Wildlife Refuge, forming part of a wider wetland and estuary environment that supports native fish, limu, coastal vegetation and endangered Hawaiian water birds.

The site's importance has been recognised for decades. Alakoko was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In 2009, the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation named it one of Hawaiʻi's most endangered historic places because of environmental degradation and development concerns.

The land is now under community stewardship

The Trust for Public Land completed the purchase on November 17, 2021, before transferring the property to Mālama Hulē‘ia. Chan and Zuckerberg did not become owners of the fishpond. Their charitable contribution helped make it possible for the land to be acquired and placed under long-term community stewardship.

Mālama Hulē‘ia had already spent years working with the community to restore the fishpond, surrounding wetlands and estuary. The organisation now plans to continue that work while preserving the area's cultural significance.

A working fishpond and outdoor classroom

The long-term vision is to restore Alakoko as a working fishpond, where fish and seafood can once again be raised and harvested.

The site is also expected to become an outdoor classroom where students can learn about traditional Hawaiian aquaculture, native ecosystems, history and culture.

The restoration will be a multi-generational effort. Rather than preserving Alakoko simply as an old landmark, Mālama Hulē‘ia wants future generations to actively learn from and care for the site.