Floating Island For Ponds

Ethnocentric Fishing Practices Threaten Hawaiian Communities

WASHINGTON, Aug 4, 2011 (IPS) - As the world gears up to celebrate the International Day of the World's Indigenous People on Aug. 9, a joint lawsuit filed Wednesday in Hawaii's Federal District Court against the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reveals the interconnectedness of environmental destruction and violations of native people's rights.

Filed by the Hawaiian Environmental Alliance (KAHEA), in conjunction with the national consumer advocacy group Food and Water Watch (FWW), the suit challenges a "fishing gear" permit issued to Kona Blue Water Farms, by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), for its open aquaculture "aquapods" stationed in the Alenuihaha Channel, off the west coast of the Big Island.

According to a detailed report by FWW entitled "The Empty Promise of Ocean Aquaculture in Hawaii', "open-water aquaculture is the mass production of fish using floating net pens or cages in the ocean, similar to the concentrated animal feedlots on land for hogs and chickens."

Kona's "aquapods" – large brass cages composed of meshed netting stocked with 2,000 small fish, which grow to harvest sizes of six to eight pounds – are tethered to sailboats and allowed to free float in the ocean just below surface level.

Drifting in eddies off the Channel, sometimes in two-mile deep water, the aquapods can be anywhere between three to 150 miles offshore.

"We expect that this experiment will have no discernible footprints at all," Kelly Coleman, a media spokesperson for Kona Blue, told IPS. "We are doing this to help promote sustainable aquaculture."

Far from being convinced, the plaintiffs and members of the local community are indignant and outraged.

Islands in the Pond: Floating Habitats Filter Water and Provide ...

A watery landscape dotted by small islands is both pleasing to the eye and helpful for wildlife. Islands in a larger pond or waterway help provide resting and nesting places for animals that use the pond, including waterfowl and frogs . In a small pond, planters provide a nutrient recycling and natural filter system for the pond, since plants will use up some of the nutrients produced by koi, extra food, and pond debris.

Why Choose a Pond Island or Planter?

For those who are concerned about plant roots entering the pond liner or for those with a hard pond bottom, it may be difficult to find an appropriate substrate in the pond where plants can grow. Installing a planter or an island provides the plants with a place to grow, safeguards their roots from fish, and prevents the plant roots from going through the bottom of a soft pond liner.

Islands in the Small Pond

Most ponds are relatively small, suitable for an urban garden. For those who like the visual appeal of an island and appreciate its filtration qualities, what are the options? Planters and islands run from under one hundred dollars for a miniature 5 inch pond island into the thousands of dollars for a larger pond island. They tether to the pond and float, covered in vegetation. Companies such as Islandscapes and Biohaven create floating pond islands. These islands provide a refuge for wildlife and an opportunity to create a planted area in the middle of the pond.

Location of the Planter or Pond Island

Place the island in a central location in the pond. If the pond is large enough, islands provide a refuge for water-loving animals. Land predators have a harder time getting to the islands, if they can get there at all. Islands create safer breeding and resting places for aquatic wildlife. Anchor the floating island to a central location in the pond. It makes more sense to anchor it to the center of the pond then to the sides, because a floating island that is anchored to the sides may end up at the edge of the pond.

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