Plans, Programs, and Management Regimes
Plans, programs, and management regimes for coastal and marine resource use, including ocean recreation and tourism as well as recreational and commercial fishing activities in Wai‘anae, are administered by federal and State of Hawai‘i government agencies. Fisheries-related laws and regulations are administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S Coast Guard, and two divisions of the State's Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR): the Division of Aquatic Resources and the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation.
Hawai‘i State Fisheries Statutes, Rules and Regulations
Hawai‘i Administrative Rules, Title 13, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Subtitle 4, Fisheries. These administrative rules govern commercial and recreational fishing, fishery management areas, restricted fishing areas, and marine habitat management.
Hawai‘i Fishing Regulations. DLNR's Division of Aquatic Resources establishes regulations on individual fish species, regulated fishing areas, gear restrictions, and special provisions. The Division issues licenses and reviews and refines regulations as required to manage Hawai‘i's fisheries (State of Hawaii DLNR 2003b).
Federal Fisheries-Related Laws
Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777-777k, 64 Stat. 430), as amended. This August 9, 1950 Act has been amended several times and is commonly called the Dingell-Johnson Act or Wallop-Breaux Act. It provides federal aid to the states for management and restoration of fish having "material value in connection with sport or recreation in the marine and/or fresh waters of the United States." In addition, amendments to the Act provide funds to the states for aquatic education, wetlands restoration, boat safety and clean vessel sanitation devices (pumpouts), and a nontrailerable boat program.
Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 — Public Law 94-265, approved April 13, 1976; 16 U.S.C. 1801-1882; 90 Stat. 331 (as amended by numerous subsequent public laws listed and identified in the U.S. Code). Also known as Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act, this law established a 200-mile fishery conservation zone, effective March 1, 1977, and established Regional Fishery Management Councils composed of federal and state officials, including the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Act provides for management of fish and other species in the Exclusive Economic Zone under plans drawn up by the regional councils and reviewed and approved by the Secretary of Commerce. It provides for regulation of foreign fishing in the management zone under Governing International Fishing Agreements and vessel fishing permits. It also provides a mechanism for preemption of state law by the Secretary of Commerce.
Fishery Management Areas, Plans, and Programs
Fisheries plans and programs include the Ulua Tag and Release Program and the National Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey.
Ulua Tag and Release Program. Fish tagging projects play an important role in fisheries management. The ulua tag and release program of the Division of Aquatic Resources is a volunteer effort to learn more about the life history of jacks or adults (ulua) and juveniles (pāpio) as well as amberjack (kāhala). Participating fishermen catch these fish, collect valuable information such as length and location, tag the fish, and release them to the sea. Information and data on tagged fish caught are sent to the Division of Aquatic Resources to determine size distribution, stock distribution, growth rates, habitat and migration patterns, and other information needed to improve management of these fish species (State of Hawaii DLNR undated).
National Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey. The purpose of the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey (MRFSS) is to establish a reliable database for estimating the impact of marine recreational fishing on marine resources. Fisheries management and development requires information on the numbers and size distributions of each fish species caught in each mode and area of fishing within each state or sub-region (National Marine Fisheries Service [NMFS] 2004a).
Data on marine recreational fisheries were not collected in a systematic manner on a continuing basis until 1979. The National Marine Fisheries Service initiated a series of surveys in 1979 to obtain standardized and comparable estimates of participation, effort, and catch by recreational anglers in the marine waters of the United States. Continued efforts to develop and maintain a comprehensive marine recreational fisheries data acquisition and analysis system was listed as the first priority of the NMFS Marine Recreational Fisheries Policy, established in 1981 (NMFS 2004a).
MRFSS data are collected by two independent but complementary surveys:
- Telephone survey of households in coastal counties
- Interview survey of anglers at fishing access sites
Data from the two independent surveys are combined to produce estimates of fishing effort, catch, and participation. Using the complemented surveys approach, marine recreational fishing estimates (not including shellfishing) are calculated for six two-month periods (waves) in each year (NMFS 2004a).
|
Intercept Survey |
Telephone Household Survey |
|---|---|
|
Number, weights, and lengths of fish caught by species |
Presence of marine recreational anglers in the household |
|
State and county of residence |
Number of anglers per household |
|
Avidity level – trips per year |
Fishing trips in 2-month period |
|
Mode of fishing |
Mode of each trip |
|
Primary area of fishing |
Location (county) of each trip |
Data from surveys conducted in Hawai‘i are currently being analyzed and should be made available sometime in 2004.
References Cited
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 2004a. Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey. NOAA NMFS. http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/recreational/index.html
State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). 2003b. Hawaii Fishing Regulations. Division of Aquatic Resources. http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/fish_regs/index.htm
State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). Undated. Ulua Tagging Project Update. Division of Aquatic Resources. http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dar/pubs/cl01_12.pdf
