2022 Overview
The Hawaiʻi Region includes three volunteer-based Chapters (Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Maui) and 5 active student clubs that are part of the worldwide Surfrider Foundation network based in San Clemente, California. Chapter programs and campaigns focus on five initiatives: Plastic Pollution, Ocean Protection, Clean Water, Beach Access, and Coastal Preservation. In 2022, efforts led to the completion of the community-driven North Shore Coastal Resilience Working Group, passage of statewide legislation to support cesspool upgrades, and continuation of the North Pacific Eel Trap project to address commercial fishing-based marine debris.
2022 Highlights
- Won 3 major campaign victories focused on clean water and beach access.
- Supported community requests to add water quality monitoring sites in remote, underserved, and/or predominantly Native Hawaiian communities, including West Oʻahu and Hāna, Maui.
- Released the "Adaptive Coastal Management Recommendations, Actions and Strategies" report to develop community-based solutions for coastal erosion on the North Shore of Oʻahu
- Represented Hawaiʻi plastic pollution initiatives and the North Pacific Eel Trap Project at the 7th International Marine Debris Conference in Busan, South Korea.