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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79
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Target Species
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Various marine species.
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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.
Distribution
Spearfishing can potentially occur in all state and federal waters.
Gear Description
Fishing with a shaft with one or more sharpened points at one end. Spearfishing is usually associated with diving, but also includes non-diving activities, such as bow and torch fishing.
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). Spear is listed as an allowable gear to harvest Hawaii coral reef MUS in federal waters.
The Council recommends and NOAA Fisheries approves annual catch limits (ACLs) for most coral reef MUS, so species harvested in this fishery may be subject to ACLs.
A commercial marine license issued by Hawaii DAR is required for all commercial fishing activities. This fishery corresponds to the following fishing method(s) defined by DAR: spearing/spearfishing.
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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267
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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 squidding, spear” (until 2011).
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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
| 2023 |
- Estimated number of participants updated from 82 to 79.
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| 2022 |
- Estimated number of participants updated from 163 to 82.
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2016
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2015
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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