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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15
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Target Species
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Opelu, baitfish
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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 gear is actively fished and highly selective (net is raised beneath a school of fish).
Distribution
Fishing can occur in state or federal waters. The fishery generally occurs in nearshore coastal areas but also in proximity to offshore Fish Aggregation Devices. In 2013, there were 810 fishing trips that reported using lift net gear.
Gear Description
Fishing with a net that captures fish by raising the net from beneath a school of fish. Normally fish are encouraged over and into the net with chum.
Management
The fishery is monitored and managed by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), NOAA Fisheries, and the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, as appropriate. In general, fisheries are managed for the species harvested rather than by gear, but in some cases there are specific management measures for particular gear types or methods.
The Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) for the Hawaii Archipelago and implementing regulations under 50 CFR 665.220 through 665.239 include a list of allowable gear and methods for harvesting Hawaii coral reef ecosystem management unit species (MUS) in the FEP management area (U.S. EEZ, outside of state waters). Use of gear or a method not listed as allowable requires a special permit pursuant to 50 CFR 665.224(1)(iii). Lift net is not a gear type specifically allowed to harvest Hawaii coral reef ecosystem MUS in federal waters.
The Council recommends and NOAA Fisheries approves annual catch limits (ACLs) for most coral reef MUS including opelu, so species harvested using this gear may be subject to ACLs.
A commercial marine license issued by DAR is required for all commercial fishing activities. This fishery corresponds to the following fishing method(s) defined by DAR: lift net.
Historical Information
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Original Category (Year added to the LOF)
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III (1996)
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Original Number of Participants
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16
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Basis for Original Classification
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Listed as Category III because the fishery was
expected to have a remote likelihood of incidental serious injury or mortality of marine mammals.
No observer, logbook, or stranding data were available.
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Past Names
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HI opelu/akule net (until 2015).
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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 17 to 15.
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2016
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2015
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- Renamed from “HI opelu/akule net” to “HI lift net."
- Estimated number of participants decreased from 22 to 21.
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2013
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2012
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2011
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2006
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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