HONOLULU — The state Department of Land and Natural Resources announced the re-opening of state marine waters on Sept. 1 for the 2011-12 bottomfish fishing year. The fishing year was closed earlier this year on March 12 and remained closed
HONOLULU — The state Department of Land and Natural Resources announced the re-opening of state marine waters on Sept. 1 for the 2011-12 bottomfish fishing year.
The fishing year was closed earlier this year on March 12 and remained closed through Aug. 31. Seven bottomfish species were affected by this closure: onaga, ehu, opakapaka, kalekale, gindai, lehi, and the hapu‘upu‘u.
The federally established Annual Catch Target for the new fishing year is 325,000 pounds of Deep-7 bottomfish. The ACT is monitored through commercial landings. The bottomfish fishery will close when the 2011-12 commercial landings reach the ACT limit, or on Aug. 31, 2012, when the fishing year ends, whichever comes first.
The DLNR also reminds bottomfish fishers that when the new fishing year opened last week, the state’s 12 bottomfish restricted fishing areas will continue to remain closed to bottomfish fishing.
Go to http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/fishing_bottom.html for all of the rules for bottomfish and bottomfishing and the locations of the 12 restricted fishing areas.
Commercial fishermen who have questions about their catch reports may call the Division of Aquatic Resources at (808) 587-0594.
For more information about federal regulations or permits, contact the National Marine Fisheries Service at (808) 944-2200, or the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council at (808) 522-8220.
