In a pioneering effort to enhance local fish stocks and alleviate fishing pressure, researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa released around 60 tagged juvenile ulua (giant trevally), or pāpio, into Maui’s Maʻalaea Harbour in February. This initiative, spearheaded by PhD student Spencer Davis, is part of a broader research project aimed at showcasing the potential of raising and releasing pāpio for stock enhancement, food production, and ecosystem restoration. The project benefits from the collaboration of the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, Maui Ocean Centre, and Oceanic Institute, and actively involves the community through a raffle for fishermen who report recaptures. An earlier phase of the project saw the release of about 150 tagged pāpio around Oʻahu, achieving a 14% recapture rate and evidence of the fish quickly integrating into the fishery and migrating up to eight miles from their release sites.