WAI'ANAE — The outcome of a planned environmental study of the ocean off the Wai'anae Coast could profoundly affect the way those waters are used in the future, pitting traditional ocean users against commercial recreational interests, say community leaders who are watching the issue closely.

The $120,000 study, which is getting under way, will evaluate the impact of a growing population and the tourism industry on the economic, environmental, social and cultural aspects of the coastline.

Jo Jordan, who heads the Parks and Recreation Committee of the Wai'anae Coast Neighborhood Board, said the issue will be on the agenda of the next board meeting April 3.

"The community is saying the resource is being overtaxed, and they want to know how to protect it," said Jordan. "Some may feel it's being overfished, some might feel it's being overused by commercial operators — divers, dolphin boats, commercial fishers and so on.

"It all depends on what each segment's vested interest is. What we've been hearing from the community is that we need some sort of rules for the ocean off the Wai'anae Coast."

In 2005, the Legislature passed, without funding, an act requiring a baseline environmental study of the ocean off the Wai'anae Coast. At the same time, it established a moratorium on issuing new commercial-vessel permits between Kalaeloa and Ka'ena Point.

Last year, largely through the efforts of state Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, the Legislature secured money to do the study.

Area activist William Aila says the study would be the first to look at conflicts between recreational ocean user activities and traditional users.

Commercial interests contend there is room for recreational activities on the coast. Hawaiians who have fished area waters for generations say such activities already have adversely altered traditional fishing waters.

"The study is the first attempt at looking at the ocean off the Wai'anae Coast from a baseline perspective," said Aila, who said he was speaking for himself and not for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, for which he is the Wai'anae harbormaster. "How do we compare the traditional use of the waters with these new ocean tourist activities?"

Representatives from the environmental consulting firm Environet Inc., which has been hired to complete the study by December, will be at the board meeting to speak to the community about the report, said Jordan. The study itself will include public input.

"They're going to be doing one-on-one interviews and group interviews," said Jordan.

"Then they'll hold public meetings, or what they call 'scoping meetings,' to get the thoughts of anybody who wants to add to the dialog.

"They're going to be collecting data from individuals and from commercial users — meaning dive operators, fishing operators, dolphin tour operators, recreational users, surfers ... They'll be collecting data from all sides."

One area of concern is whether the coast will be designated an Ocean Recreation Management Area, or ORMA.

The coast is one of only two areas on O'ahu that doesn't have such a designation.

"ORMAs usually bring in recreational activities, such as parasailing, surfing schools, Jet Skis — those sorts of things," said Jordan. "ORMA rules allow those kinds of activities in certain capacities. Since we are not designated an ORMA, those kinds of activities can't come in."

That could change, depending on the outcome of the report. For one thing, the moratorium on issuing new permits could end, she said.

The position of the lawmakers who passed the legislation requiring the study — and one that is shared by the DLNR — is that the "area should be designated ... as an ocean recreation management area to reduce user conflicts, maintain overall public safety, and to regulate commercial activities by placing limitations on the locations, times, and types of ocean recreation activities that are being permitted."

Aila said the issue could narrow down to three alternatives: