For generations of Hawaii residents, going fishing, whether with pole, net or spear, is a cherished tradition. Miles of open shoreline, light regulation and the chance to catch a delicious meal make the activity an inviting one.
That invitation has caused problems. Conservationists and marine biologists have warned for years of a precipitous decline in the number of nearshore reef fish, especially in populated areas.
Now comes a new study that raises the threat level. It concluded that many prized food fish species around the main Hawaiian Islands have declined below the point of sustainability — by more than 75 percent in some instances. And the study placed most of the blame not on the commercial fishery, or environmental factors like coral bleaching, but on non-commercial overfishing.
This should come as sobering news for anyone who goes fishing off Hawaii shores, especially for recreation or subsistence.
The study, published in the journal Aquatic Conservation, analyzed data going back to the year 2000 — “the largest collection of data for any single archipelago,” according to the lead author of the study, University of Hawaii marine biologist Alan Friedlander.
The results were discouraging, but not surprising. Other studies in recent years, conducted by Friedlander and others, have drawn similar conclusions even while accounting for the difficulty in bridging gaps in data about the complex and poorly regulated coral reef fishery.
There’s little doubt about one thing, though: Where there are fewer people, there are more fish. The study found nearly three times the number of food fish in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) than in the main islands, and nearly 10 times more than off Oahu and parts of Maui. Similar results were found off the uninhabited Kahoolawe, which has the largest no-take coral reef reserve in the main islands.
Scientists on a 24-day expedition to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument returned recently to report finding thriving coral reefs supporting an impressive array of marine life.
Prized species like uhu and omilu are relatively sparse in the main islands, when compared to the NWHI. Whether there will be any left for future generations to catch will depend on changing how the resource is managed, since the status quo doesn’t appear to be working. But how?
A total ban on fishing everywhere would be effective, efficient and impossible. Besides Native Hawaiian gathering rights, the tradition of nearshore fishing in Hawaii has deep social and cultural roots that can’t just be yanked out.
Creating more no-take areas would allow target species to rejuvenate, assuming they were large enough and properly managed. That would include robust enforcement against poachers, a difficult problem for the cash-strapped state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Periodic temporary closures of certain areas have shown poor results. A 2006 study of a rotational closure area off Waikiki showed improved fish stocks over a one- or two-year closure period, but the gains quickly vanished after the areas reopened and fishers rushed in.
More promising is something already being tried on Kauai and Hawaii island: Community-managed fisheries. This concept, blending traditional Hawaiian practices and DLNR oversight, more closely resembles how pre-contact Hawaiians once effectively managed their resources within a moku or ahupua‘a. Appropriate harvest seasons, restrictions on certain fishing gear, and a periodic kapu on species could have impressive results when tailored to specific ecosystems. The study said that a community-based fishery can sustain fish in even greater numbers than a no-take reserve.
It’s likely a combination of some or all of the above will be needed to reach Gov. David Ige’s goal of effectively managing 30 percent of Hawaii’s nearshore waters by 2030, a pledge he made at the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress in 2016. Perhaps a dedicated effort could reach that goal sooner.
