Dozens of fishermen and environmentalists on Friday spoke out against proposed new fishing regulations by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The DLNR’s Department of Aquatic Resources has developed a wide range of amendments to the state’s fishing rules that broadly reduce fishers’ ability to legally take certain threatened fish species, particularly the uhu and kala, otherwise called parrotfish and bluespine unicornfish.
The rules specifically target herbivore fish, which DAR administrator Brian Neilson told the Board of Land and Natural Resources on Friday are critical to maintaining the state’s marine ecosystems and are under increasing pressure from overfishing and environmental degradation.
Under the proposed amendments, commercial uhu fishing would be subject to daily bag limits of 30, only allow fish between 14 inches and 20 inches to be harvested, would only be available to commercial uhu fishing permittees — who would have to pay $100 annually and prove that they caught and sold at least 340 pounds of uhu in the last year — and be entirely prohibited during the fishes’ peak spawning months of February through May.
The state also would impose a total annual commercial catch limit of 34,000 pounds.
Commercial kala fishing would be similarly proscribed, but with daily bag limits of 50, minimum sizes at 14 inches, and with an annual catch limit of 10,000 pounds.
Kala fishers also would need to obtain a commercial kala fishing permit — also for $100 annually and with proof of selling at least 100 pounds of kala in the previous year.
Noncommercial fishers of both species would also be subject to daily bag limits of two per person.
David Sakoda, DAR fisheries program manager, told the BLNR on Friday that the majority of fishers would be unaffected by the rules, as fewer than half of fishing trips in the state exceed the limits the rules would set.
The proposed rules also would alter regulations regarding other species.
Fishers would be allowed to harvest female Kona crabs not carrying eggs, but also would extend the crab’s closed fishing season by one additional month, while the manini, or convict tang, would have its minimum catchable length extended from 5 inches to 6 inches.
But it was a minor rule change about the kole, or goldring surgeonfish, that incurred the greatest pushback among attendees Friday. The rules would impose a minimum catchable length for the species at 5 inches, but also would grant an exception to that rule for those with valid state aquarium fishing permits.
Although Sakoda noted that the state has not granted any aquarium fishing permits for years, saying the rule is a “placeholder” pending future decisions regarding aquariums, dozens of testifiers took umbrage with that exemption.
“Expecting food fishers to bear this burden and sacrifice so much while allowing (aquarium fishers) to take even a single fish is unjustifiable,” said Rene Umberger, executive director of marine life advocacy group For the Fishes. “If allowed to resume, (aquariums) would certainly continue their decades-long degradation of this critically important natural resource.”
“Telling food fishers that it is important to let kole reach maturity before taking them, but then letting the commercial aquarium pet trade take large numbers of juvenile kole … is nonsensical, poor management and counterproductive to DAR messaging that they believe in and support pono fishing practices and that herbivores need immediate protections,” wrote Inga Gibson for For the Fishes.
Dozens of other form letters were submitted largely blaming the aquarium fishing industry for leaving the state’s reefs in their current state.
The BLNR ultimately moved to strike the language referring to aquarium fishing from the amended rules.
Meanwhile, fishermen on Friday were critical of the rule changes regarding kala and uhu.
“I think you should talk to the fishermen more before you go to the board,” said kala fisherman Harry Lemm. “They never asked any of us if 50 (fish per day) is enough for us to survive. Every single fisherman that fishes for kala or other fish. … I’m a small time fisherman, I’ve got a small boat, small motor, it’s not costing me that much, but get a big-time fisherman, it’s costing them $500 a day to go out. If they’re going to go for kala, 50 kala a day isn’t going to cut it.”
Despite the general opposition at the hearing, the proposed amendments are not close to becoming state ordinance. The BLNR voted Friday only to authorize DAR to hold public meetings about the rule changes throughout the state.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
