basshunter
03-13-2010, 09:32 AM
Every where you turn they are regulating the heck out of fishermen.
Fishers decry proposal for bottom-fishing limits
By Gary T. Kubota (gkubota@starbulletin.com)
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 13, 2010
Honolulu
Some fishermen say proposed state rules to impose limits for recreational bottom-fishing are unnecessary and lack scientific studies.
"They're trying to impose things on us without any scientific proof," said Basil Oshiro, president of the Maui Cooperative Fishing Association. "As far as I know, there's an unlimited stock."
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will hold public hearings statewide this month on proposed amendments to bottom-fish rules.
The meetings start on Tuesday on the Big Island and continue through March 23.
State officials said the new rules are intended to make state laws more consistent with an April 2008 federal fishing ban on seven popular bottom-fish species.
Federal waters extend from three miles offshore to 200 miles off the Hawaii coastline. State jurisdiction and rules apply within three miles of the Hawaiian Islands.
The proposed state amendments would create a new office that would open and close bottom-fish season and change the noncommercial bag limit from only ehu and onaga to include five other bottom fish off-limits in federal waters. Fishermen would also be limited to catching a total of five total fish in state waters.
The other five species are opakapaka, hapuupuu, lehi, gindai and kalekale.
State officials also propose a change in commercial reporting of bottom-fish catches from monthly to trip reports; changing the bottom-fish vessel registration requirement from one-time to annual; and allowing certain nets to take Kona crab while on a bottom-fish vessel.
Oshiro said the decision by state conservation officials is based on catch reports.
But Oshiro said the catch reports do not take into account the catch location and the shift in the market toward smaller fish.
Oshiro said commercial fishermen are targeting bottom fish from 3 to 12 1/2 pounds because most markets prefer fish of that size.
Recreational fisherman Brian Yoshikawa said with the new rules, recreational fishermen might decide against a trip.
"The bag limit is going to be so small that a lot of recreational guys are going to say, 'Why bother?'" Yoshikawa said.
Yoshikawa said the new rules would also create more paperwork by requiring fisherman to fill in a form for bottom-fishing in addition to forms to record other catches.
Some fishermen say proposed state rules to impose limits for recreational bottom-fishing are unnecessary and lack scientific studies.
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"They're trying to impose things on us without any scientific proof," said Basil Oshiro, president of the Maui Cooperative Fishing Association. "As far as I know, there's an unlimited stock."
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will hold public hearings statewide this month on proposed amendments to bottom-fish rules.
The meetings start on Tuesday on the Big Island and continue through March 23.
State officials said the new rules are intended to make state laws more consistent with an April 2008 federal fishing ban on seven popular bottom-fish species.
Federal waters extend from three miles offshore to 200 miles off the Hawaii coastline. State jurisdiction and rules apply within three miles of the Hawaiian Islands.
The proposed state amendments would create a new office that would open and close bottom-fish season and change the noncommercial bag limit from only ehu and onaga to include five other bottom fish off-limits in federal waters. Fishermen would also be limited to catching a total of five total fish in state waters.
The other five species are opakapaka, hapuupuu, lehi, gindai and kalekale.
State officials also propose a change in commercial reporting of bottom-fish catches from monthly to trip reports; changing the bottom-fish vessel registration requirement from one-time to annual; and allowing certain nets to take Kona crab while on a bottom-fish vessel.
Oshiro said the decision by state conservation officials is based on catch reports.
But Oshiro said the catch reports do not take into account the catch location and the shift in the market toward smaller fish.
Oshiro said commercial fishermen are targeting bottom fish from 3 to 12 1/2 pounds because most markets prefer fish of that size.
Recreational fisherman Brian Yoshikawa said with the new rules, recreational fishermen might decide against a trip.
"The bag limit is going to be so small that a lot of recreational guys are going to say, 'Why bother?'" Yoshikawa said.
Yoshikawa said the new rules would also create more paperwork by requiring fisherman to fill in a form for bottom-fishing in addition to forms to record other catches.
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Fishers decry proposal for bottom-fishing limits
By Gary T. Kubota (gkubota@starbulletin.com)
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 13, 2010
Honolulu
Some fishermen say proposed state rules to impose limits for recreational bottom-fishing are unnecessary and lack scientific studies.
"They're trying to impose things on us without any scientific proof," said Basil Oshiro, president of the Maui Cooperative Fishing Association. "As far as I know, there's an unlimited stock."
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will hold public hearings statewide this month on proposed amendments to bottom-fish rules.
The meetings start on Tuesday on the Big Island and continue through March 23.
State officials said the new rules are intended to make state laws more consistent with an April 2008 federal fishing ban on seven popular bottom-fish species.
Federal waters extend from three miles offshore to 200 miles off the Hawaii coastline. State jurisdiction and rules apply within three miles of the Hawaiian Islands.
The proposed state amendments would create a new office that would open and close bottom-fish season and change the noncommercial bag limit from only ehu and onaga to include five other bottom fish off-limits in federal waters. Fishermen would also be limited to catching a total of five total fish in state waters.
The other five species are opakapaka, hapuupuu, lehi, gindai and kalekale.
State officials also propose a change in commercial reporting of bottom-fish catches from monthly to trip reports; changing the bottom-fish vessel registration requirement from one-time to annual; and allowing certain nets to take Kona crab while on a bottom-fish vessel.
Oshiro said the decision by state conservation officials is based on catch reports.
But Oshiro said the catch reports do not take into account the catch location and the shift in the market toward smaller fish.
Oshiro said commercial fishermen are targeting bottom fish from 3 to 12 1/2 pounds because most markets prefer fish of that size.
Recreational fisherman Brian Yoshikawa said with the new rules, recreational fishermen might decide against a trip.
"The bag limit is going to be so small that a lot of recreational guys are going to say, 'Why bother?'" Yoshikawa said.
Yoshikawa said the new rules would also create more paperwork by requiring fisherman to fill in a form for bottom-fishing in addition to forms to record other catches.
Some fishermen say proposed state rules to impose limits for recreational bottom-fishing are unnecessary and lack scientific studies.
[/URL]
"They're trying to impose things on us without any scientific proof," said Basil Oshiro, president of the Maui Cooperative Fishing Association. "As far as I know, there's an unlimited stock."
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will hold public hearings statewide this month on proposed amendments to bottom-fish rules.
The meetings start on Tuesday on the Big Island and continue through March 23.
State officials said the new rules are intended to make state laws more consistent with an April 2008 federal fishing ban on seven popular bottom-fish species.
Federal waters extend from three miles offshore to 200 miles off the Hawaii coastline. State jurisdiction and rules apply within three miles of the Hawaiian Islands.
The proposed state amendments would create a new office that would open and close bottom-fish season and change the noncommercial bag limit from only ehu and onaga to include five other bottom fish off-limits in federal waters. Fishermen would also be limited to catching a total of five total fish in state waters.
The other five species are opakapaka, hapuupuu, lehi, gindai and kalekale.
State officials also propose a change in commercial reporting of bottom-fish catches from monthly to trip reports; changing the bottom-fish vessel registration requirement from one-time to annual; and allowing certain nets to take Kona crab while on a bottom-fish vessel.
Oshiro said the decision by state conservation officials is based on catch reports.
But Oshiro said the catch reports do not take into account the catch location and the shift in the market toward smaller fish.
Oshiro said commercial fishermen are targeting bottom fish from 3 to 12 1/2 pounds because most markets prefer fish of that size.
Recreational fisherman Brian Yoshikawa said with the new rules, recreational fishermen might decide against a trip.
"The bag limit is going to be so small that a lot of recreational guys are going to say, 'Why bother?'" Yoshikawa said.
Yoshikawa said the new rules would also create more paperwork by requiring fisherman to fill in a form for bottom-fishing in addition to forms to record other catches.
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