Editorial: Harvesting reef fishes

Carefully managing the taking of Hawaii’s marine life to ensure a sustainable supply has a long history. Kapu on overharvesting particular species of fish or fishing during spawning season date back to ancient times.

That need hasn’t changed; if anything, it’s gotten greater. Climate change, coral bleaching and commercial demand have created pressures on Hawaii fisheries unknown in years past.

Recently, the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), part of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), stepped up: It proposed new limits on both the commercial and noncommercial harvesting of certain varieties of herbivorous fish — among them uhu (parrotfish), kala (unicornfish), kole (surgeonfish) and manini (convict tang) — in an effort to keep their populations stable. The proposed rules include setting bag limits and increasing the minimum length of fish allowed to be taken.

Developing these proposals has been, and continues to be, a lengthy and deliberate process, with scoping sessions and consultations with stakeholders going as far back as November 2020.

Certainly there is much at stake for groups that harvest the fish, among them commercial fishers, subsistence fishers and the aquarium trade. But also at stake is the health of the marine ecosystem, especially coral reefs, which are under severe pressure from pollution and bleaching. The reefs depend on herbivores like uhu to help prevent the overgrowth of seaweed and invasive algae.

DLNR needs to balance all those interests, but not equally: Maintaining the sustainability of the resource, on which all other interests depend, has to be a top priority. Native Hawaiian subsistence fishers, whose gathering rights are enshrined in the state Constitution, also need to be fairly accommodated.

At the behest of the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR), DAR revised earlier proposals to accommodate commercial uhu and kala fishers, who had raised concerns about their ability to make a profit. The updated rules would limit commercial uhu harvest and sale to a single variety — uhu palukaluka — and establish a kapu on commercial fishing during peak spawning months for both uhu and kala. Overall, the revised proposals would reduce the commercial catch to about 75% of the average annual reported catch over the past five years.

The proposals are reasonable ones, but are still subject to further refinement. Earlier this month, BLNR voted to allow the rule amendments to go before public hearings, after which BLNR will make the final decisions.