By NORMAN BEZONA Professor emeritus, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
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When the first Polynesians arrived in the Hawaiian Islands, there were very few plants that were of use as edibles. Initially they probably lived on what could be taken from the sea like limu, fish, vana, opihi, squid, octopus and sea slugs just to mention a few. Of course many birds flourished on the land. They and their eggs were fair game as well. Luckily the first people brought with them a great variety of plants like coconut, turmeric, sugar cane, bamboo, kalo, mountain apple, breadfruit and scores of banana varieties. They also brought pigs, chickens, dogs and rats. The animals had a great impact on the ecosystem, since no land mammals except the Hawaiian Hoary bat existed before the First People.