Expanding marine sanctuary won’t protect tuna stocks

Just about everyone enjoys a poke bowl for lunch. Perhaps an occasional trip to a sushi place. And sashimi is a must-have for New Year’s and other important family celebrations.

Hawaii has always depended upon fish as a major food source. And fishing is among Hawaii’s cherished cultural values.

What many people don’t realize is the source of almost all of the highest- grade, and freshest, ahi is Hawaii’s family-owned longline boats operating out of Honolulu Harbor.

Somewhere between 25 to 50 tons of bigeye tuna, and more, flow through United Fishing Agency’s fish auction every day, six days a week.

Yet there is an ongoing campaign to close a huge section of Hawaii’s waters to fishing. The area will be larger than the states of Washington, Oregon and California combined.

It’s claimed that the proposed expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Monument will help preserve our tuna stocks for the future. While it’s an admirable gesture, it would be a futile one.

Here’s why.

According to statistics from the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, Hawaii’s longline fleet has an annual quota of 3,500 metric tons, which is equivalent to 1.6 percent of all tuna taken in the Pacific Ocean.

Foreign fishing fleets, operating in the ocean surrounding our islands and other parts of the Pacific, are allowed to take the other 98.4 percent.

Even if our entire longline fleet were shut down, the effect on the tuna stocks in the Pacific would be imperceptible. The only way to truly ensure tuna is not overfished is to get all the other countries fishing in the Pacific to significantly reduce their quotas. And that’s beyond our control.

The people who are asking for the expanded monument also said that the longliners can just fish elsewere. If only it were that easy.

All fishermen know that you have to go to where the fish are to catch them. Tuna schools move all the time. If they happen to be in an area that’s closed, then your fishbox will remain mostly empty unless you’re willing to break a law or two.

And that’s what will happen to the people who make it possible for us to enjoy poke bowls that are made with fresh, not frozen and gassed, fish.

It will become illegal for our fishermen to fish in three-quarters of our own Exclusive Economic Zone, forever.

It’s been argued that just 8 percent of the tuna caught by Hawaii’s longline fleet comes from the proposed expanded area. They say that giving up 8 percent is a reasonable trade for the sake of conservation.

The mathematical reality is that reducing Hawaii’s 1.6 percent share by 8 percent is meaningless compared to what’s going on throughout the Pacific.

Furthermore, what most don’t realize is that number is an average taken over a very long time. Sometimes it’s less. Sometimes it’s much more.

Ten days ago, for example, three longline boats brought in a total of 74,000 pounds of fish to the auction at Pier 38. The Edward G unloaded 38,000 pounds of fish, which happened to come from the area that some want closed to fishing. If it had been closed, then our markets and their customers would have been deprived of half of its supply. And we all know how scarcity can drive prices upward.

Commercial fishermen fish for everyone. It’s how seafood gets to our grocery stores and restaurants. If it weren’t for commercial fishing, there wouldn’t be any fresh fish in our markets.

The people of our state consume thousands of pounds of seafood daily. It’s time to stand and be heard. Say “no” to the expansion of the Papahana- umokuakea Monument.