Hawaii FEP - Western Pacific Fishery Council

State catch reports reporting their monthly fishing activity including all catches and bycatch(discards). It is difficult to separate catches originating from State (0-3 miles from shore) vs.Federal (3-200 miles from shore) waters as HDAR uses catch reporting forms which do notdifferentiate these areas. As a result, information on MHI catches is not spatially separated and,unless otherwise noted, represents catches from both State and Federal waters around the MHI.The number of fishermen engaged in commercial bottomfish fishing in the MHI increaseddramatically in the 1970s and peaked at 583 vessels in 1985. Participation declined in the early1990s, rebounded somewhat in the late 1990s, and in 2003 reached its lowest level since 1977with only 325 active vessels (WPRMC 2004). Data from various surveys indicate that theimportance of the MHI bottomfish fishery varies significantly among fishermen of differentislands. According to a 1987 survey of boat fishing club members, bottomfish representedroughly 13 percent of the catch of Hawaii fishermen, 25 percent of the catch of Oahu and Kauaifishermen, and 75 percent of the catch of Maui fishermen (Meyer Resources 1987). A survey oflicensed commercial fishermen conducted about the same time indicated that the percentage ofrespondents who used bottomfish fishing methods was 25 percent on Hawaii, 28 percent onKauai, 29 percent on Oahu, 33 percent on Lanai, 50 percent on Molokai, and 51 percent on Maui(Harman and Katekaru 1988). Presumably, the differences among islands relate to the proximityof productive bottomfish fishing grounds.Oahu landings account for roughly 30 percent of the MHI commercial landings of deepwaterbottomfish species from 1998 to 2004. Maui landings from the same time period represent 36percent of total MHI deepwater bottomfish landings, with Hawaii, Kauai and Molokai/Lanairepresenting 18, 10 and 5 percent, respectively (Kawamoto and Tao 2005). Specific bottomfishfishing locales favored by fishermen vary seasonally according to sea conditions and theavailability and price of target species. Historically, Penguin Bank is one of the most importantbottomfish fishing grounds in the MHI, as it is the most extensive shallow shelf area in the MHIand within easy reach of major population centers. Penguin Bank is particularly important for theMHI catch of uku, one of the few bottomfish species available in substantial quantities to Hawaiiconsumers during summer months.Table 13. Summary of Unique CML numbers by Area FishedZone Name 2000 2001 2002 2003Hawaii (island) State water (0–2) 76 62 64 57Hawaii (island) Federal water 116 98 84 44Hawaii (island) both 178 153 131 89MMLK State water (0–2) 81 63 61 59MMLK Federal water 102 91 80 66MMLK both 146 120 112 99Penguin Bank Federal water 77 58 59 50MMLK plus 331 Federal water 209 168 163 145Oahu State water (0–2) 56 41 51 53Oahu Federal water 76 51 52 46Oahu both 120 81 91 89Kauai State water (0–2) 32 35 40 3790