Current Classification on the List of Fisheries
Category
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III
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Estimated Number of Participants
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34
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Target Species
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Coral reef species for the aquarium trade
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Applicable Take Reduction Plans
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None
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Observer Coverage
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Not observed
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Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured
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None documented
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^ Number of participants estimates are based on state and federal fisheries permit data. The estimated number of participants is expressed in terms of the number of active participants in the fishery, when possible. If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. If no recent information is available on the number of participants, then the number from the most recent LOF is used. NOAA Fisheries acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimations may be inflating actual effort.
*Observer coverage levels include the latest information reported in the most current final Stock Assessment Report (SAR).
1 Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.
Basis for Current Classification
There are no known incidental mortalities or serious injuries of marine mammals in this fishery, and there is a remote likelihood of marine mammal interactions because the fishing method is highly selective (collection by hand or with small, attended nets).
Distribution
Primarily conducted in state waters.
Gear Description
Aquarium fish collection is generally carried out by divers equipped with some form of underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA, surface supplied air, rebreather equipment). Divers use hand collection methods, sometimes in combination with the placement of short, bottom-set barrier nets. Nets are usually less than 200 ft in length or 10 ft in height, operate in depths less than 100 ft, and are actively tended. The mesh is small, less than 1 inch, to prevent gilling the smaller aquarium fish.
Management
Managed by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources/Division of Aquatic Resources. An annual permit to collect reef fish is required. Regional bag, slot, and species-specific bans on live harvest may apply in certain designated areas.
Historical Information
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Original Category (Year added to the LOF)
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III (2015)
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Original Number of Participants
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90
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Basis for Original Classification
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There are no known incidental mortalities or serious injuries of marine mammals in this fishery, and there is a remote likelihood of marine mammal interactions because the fishing method is highly selective (collection by hand or with small, attended nets).
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Past Names
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None
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Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list)
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N/A
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Timeline of Changes
| 2022 |
- Estimated number of participants updated from 90 to 34.
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Female Hawaiian monk seal RO28, one of the “monk seal matriarchs,” and her pup on Kaua‘i. Credit: Val Bloy
Oceanic whitetip shark. Hawaiʻi longline fishermen use leaders to connect weighed branch lines and baited hooks. A new rule prohibits steel wire leaders in the Hawaiʻi deep-set longline fishery, starting May 31, 2022. The rule aims to increase the survival of hooked oceanic whitetip sharks caught as bycatch in the Pacific Islands region. Credit: Andy Mann
NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette off Maui in 2004. Homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii, NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette is a multipurpose oceanographic research vessel that conducts fisheries assessments, physical and chemical oceanography research, marine mammal and marine debris surveys. The ship operates throughout the central and western Pacific Ocean. Credit: NOAA/Ray Boland.
Tournament fishing in the Pacific Islands region occurs year-round, drawing in local participants and visitors (non-residents) to the state. The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected in-person fishing activities and much of the fishing and seafood industry. Credit: NOAA Fisheries