Pacific Islands Annual Catch Limits
A summary of the current estimated catch of target species, percent of annual limits caught, and status of Pacific Island fisheries.
Annual catch limits (ACLs) and Annual Catch Targets (ACTs) are tools to prevent overfishing in commercial and recreational fisheries. NOAA Fisheries administers ACLs and ACTs for the Pelagic, Hawai‘i, American Samoa, Guam, Mariana Archipelago, and Pacific Remote Island Areas fisheries.
Pelagic
Fishery | Species¹ | 2024 Annual Limit (metric tons) | 2024 Estimated Catch | % of Limit Caught | 2024 Estimated Catch Total Through | Status |
| Western and Central Pacific Longline | Pacific Bigeye Tuna | 6,554 | 3,425 | 52% | July 11, 2024 | Open |
| Eastern Pacific Longline | Pacific Bigeye Tuna | 750 (for vessels > 24 m) | 27 | 4% | June 14, 2024 | Open |
¹ NOAA Fisheries has not specified ACLs for most pelagic species because they are subject to international fishing agreements or have life cycles of less than a year.
Hawai‘i
| Fishery | Species | 2023-24 Annual Limit (lb) | 2023-24 Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottomfish1 | Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish (Lehi, Ehu, Onaga, Opakapaka, Kalekale, Gindae, Hapuʻupuʻu) | 492,000 | - | - | Open |
| Precious Coral2 | Black Coral - Auau Channel | 5,512 | - | - | Open |
| Pink and Red Coral - 180 Fathom Bank | 489 | - | - | Open | |
| Pink and Red Coral - Brooks Bank | 979 | - | - | Open | |
| Pink and Red Coral - Kaena Point Bed | 148 | - | - | Open | |
| Pink and Red Coral - Keahole Bed | 148 | - | - | Open | |
| Pink and Red Coral - Makapuʻu Bed | 2,205 | - | - | Open | |
| Bamboo Coral - 180 Fathom Bank | 123 | - | - | Open | |
| Bamboo Coral - Brooks Bank | 245 | - | - | Open | |
| Bamboo Coral - Kaena Point | 37 | - | - | Open | |
| Bamboo Coral - Keahole Bed | 37 | - | - | Open | |
| Bamboo Coral - Makapuʻu Bed | 551 | - | - | Open | |
| Precious Corals - Hawai‘i Exploratory Area | 2,205 | - | - | Open |
¹ The fishing year for the deep 7 bottomfish fishery began September 1, 2024, and ends August 31, 2025.
² The fishing year for precious corals began July 1, 2024, and ends June 30, 2025.
| Fishery | Species | 2024 Annual Limit (lb) | 2024 Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottomfish3 | Gray Jobfish (Uku) | 295,419 ACL 291,010 ACT | - - | - - | Open |
| Crustacean | Deepwater Shrimp | 250,773 ACL | - | - | Open |
| Kona Crab | 30,802 lb ACL 25,491 lb ACT | - - | - - | Open |
3 Catch limits for uku apply to commercial and non-commercial catch. This section will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Note: NOAA Fisheries has not specified ACLs for stocks subject to federal fishing moratoria or prohibitions. These include all species of gold coral, all species of deepwater precious coral at Wespac Bed in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and the three Hawai‘i seamount groundfish: pelagic armorhead, alfonsin and raft fish. The current prohibition on fishing for these species serves as a functional equivalent of an ACL of zero.
American Samoa
| Fishery | Species | 2024 Annual Limit (lb) | Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottomfish1 | Bottomfish multi-species stock complex | 5,000 | - | - | Open |
1This section will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Guam
| Fishery | Species | 2024 Annual Limit (lb) | Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottomfish1 | Bottomfish multi-species stock complex | 31,000 | - | - | Open |
1This section will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
| Fishery | Species | 2024 Annual Limit (lb) | Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottomfish | Bottomfish multi-species stock complex | 82,000 lb ACL 75,000 lb ACT | - | - | Open |
Pacific Remote Island Areas
| Fishery | Species | Annual Limit (lb) | Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No catch limits | - | - | - | - | - |
Note: NOAA Fisheries has not specified ACLs for any bottomfish crustacean, precious coral, or coral reef ecosystem species in the Pacific Remote Island Areas because commercial fishing is prohibited out to 50 nautical miles by Presidential Proclamation 8336 which established the Pacific Remote Island Marine National Monument (74 FR 1565, January 12, 2009).