How is Hawaii Sustainable

• Growing concerns about the condition of the world’s ocean fish stocks.
• Many people don’t know where their seafood comes from
• Many don’t understand fisheries or fishery management
• Need information (e. from fishery managers, eco-labels, consumer guides, other sources?)

• Wild-caught fish is a major protein food produced in Hawaii, by Hawaii-based fisherman.
• Competes with imported seafood
• Seafood Supply in Hawaii? Estimated to be 37% of local seafood
• US Seafood Supply? Less than 10% of supply is domestic American seafood 

Sustainable wild seafood is harvested from renewable ocean resources that are managed in a way that can maintain production year after year without jeopardizing the ecosystem.

• 32^nd in the US in landed fish volume (29 million lbs.)
• 6^th in the US in landed fish value      ($100 million)

• Fish (Wild, Open Ocean)   $87.5 Million
• Sugarcane                           $78.1 Million
• Cattle                                   $46.4 Million
• Macadamia Nuts               $38.2 Million
• Coffee                                  $31.5 Million
• Algae                                    $25.2 Million
• Bananas                              $11.3 Million
• Papayas                               $9.7   Million
• Milk                                      $9.5   Million
• Sweet Potatoes                  $7.3   Million

• The main commercial fishery in Hawaii
• 80%  of all Hawaii commercial fish landings
• 86%  of total ex-vessel value
• $68.6 million of ex-vessel value per year (2000 – 2012)

• Two segments of fishery
• Deep-set gear for Bigeye Tuna
• Shallow-set for Swordfish
• Uses monofilament longline gear
• Stores fish on ice
• Sells through a display auction

• One that is well-managed for sustainability
• Controls overfishing
• Controls ecosystem, bycatch, and protected species impacts

• The 1996 United Nations FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing
• The only international agreement of what countries should have in place to develop responsible fisheries and manage them for sustainability.

• Hawaii’s Longline Fishery has the first and most comprehensive application of the Code as a scoring tool to date (according to FAO)
• Hawaii Longline Fishery assessment is used by FAO as a case study for the application of the Code. 

• The RFA Summary Score for Hawaii Longline Fisheries was 94% in 2008
• It was 93% in 2006

2008 RFA Results:  Hawaii Longline Fisheries Scores for each Article

Article 7          Fishery Management                    96%              109.5/ 114

Article 8          Fishing Operations                        93%              70 / 75

Article 10        Integration with CZM                    71%              17.5 / 21

Article 11        Post-Harvest Practices/ Trade     95%              38 / 40

Article 12        Fisheries Research                        91%              30.5 / 33        

Conclusion:  Responsible Fisheries Assessment

• RFA answers the basic question, “Is the fishery well-managed for sustainability?”
• Fish Population Status: Rely on Fishery Stock Assessments                                 (NOAA, WCPFC, IATTC)
• Ecosystem Impacts: Rely on research and monitoring of fishery reduction of Protected Species Interactions and Bycatch (NOAA, others)

• Is has achieved a high compliance score with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
• It meets the 10 National Standards under NOAA and Council Management.

Hawaii was the first US pelagic fishery to limit entry.

The Hawaiian Fishery remains today capped at 164 permitted vessels

1991  Mandatory Daily Logbooks are required

1992  Longline Exclusion Zone out to 50 miles offshore. ?Prevented gear conflict with smaller boats

1993  Federal observers placed on Hawaii longline vessels

1994  First US Fishery to require satellite tracking (24:7) using Vessel Monitoring System (VMS).

2000  Shark finning was prohibited

2001  Federal observer coverage minimum of 20% of deep-set tuna longline ?fishing trips required

2004 Federal observer coverage of 100% for shallow-set swordfish longline fishing trips required

Measures to mitigate Sea Turtle interactions required. Circle hooks and mackerel bait replaced J-hooks and squid bait. 90% reduction in turtle catch rate achieved in the shallow-set swordfish fishery.

Shallow-set swordfish fishery adopts hard cap on the annual number of Sea Turtle interactions allowed. Enforcement in real time is made possible with 100% federal observer coverage.

Measures to reduce Seabird interactions are required and achieve 90% reduction.

Pacific Bigeye tuna catch quota established. Hawaii has the only longline fishery in Pacific capable of real time management and compliance with bigeye quota. Bigeye overfishing in Hawaii is eliminated.

1993–2015

Overfishing of Pacific Bigeye tuna begins in about 1993 in the Western and Central Pacific equatorial region by tuna purse seiners using drifting fish aggregating devices that aggregate juvenile bigeye tuna. Hawaii’s fishery operates in a distinct region far away from where overfishing is occurring.

• Fishery Management Plan
• Established Reference Points for sustainable catch limits and stock level
• Receives regular Scientific Advice
• Effective Monitoring and Control
• Responsible Corrective Management Actions
• Destructive Fishing Methods not used
• Discards (bycatch) minimized
• Ecosystem issues addressed
• Continuous Improvement Process embedded