Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2009 i Hawaii Fishing News

Hi Chuck, Look what I brought up while trying to catch bait for my slides. I'm the type of fisherman that never gives up on whatever’s at the end of my line. It wasn't easy bringing up this much dead weight with my pole. This unusual, eye-catching and prehistoric-looking crab had no name for about two days. I shared it with all my friends and still no one knew for sure. I would like to thank Hanapa'a Hawaii for identifying this sponge crab and informing me that at 6.1 lbs the crab was potentially a new state record. Aloha, Bert J. Balecha Honolulu, O'ahu P.S. Thank you, Jesus, for making our fishing trips safe. ■ My search for a taxidermist who could mount my sponge crab started a few days…

Atlapac Fishing Club’s Year-End Review ■ "Goose egg-Noun. The egg of a goose, usually twice the size of a large chicken egg. Although it contains the same amount of saturated fat as a chicken egg, in has almost six times the amount of cholesterol. Described as having a rich, gamey taste. Informal. In games, a zero; a score or record of naught; so named in allusion to the egg like outline of the zero sign O. Called also -duck egg. [Slang]"1 Before you know it, there is only one month left in the season and the number of ulua you caught closely resembles that of a goose egg. Goose eggs are good-if you are on Kapapa Island and it’s time to cook breakfast. On the leaderboard, to the right of…

■ The most widely used software package for the development of state-of-the-art fisheries stock assessment methods, AD Model Builder (ADMB) can now be downloaded without charge from a public website, <http://admb-project.org>. ADM B-based computer models are used globally to monitor populations of many endangered and commercially valuable species, to develop place-based resource management policies, and to reconstruct movements of animals tracked with electronic tags. ADMB-based stock assessments are critical to the management of commercially important fisheries stocks worth billions of dollars as well as ecologically sensitive species, in the United States and internationally. Every NOAA Fisheries Science Center uses the ADMB software. In 2007, scientists from the University of Hawaii at Manoa Pelagic Fisheries Research Program (UH PFRP) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), in consultation with scientists from…

The aquarium trade is the most economically valuable reef fishery in the Main Hawaiian Islands, with landing revenues exceeding akule, opelu, lobsters, reef fishes and even bottomfish. Almost 200 commercial fishers presently hold valid aquarium permits and the reported revenues reached $1 .6 million in fiscal 2007. The yellow tang is far and away the most important species in the aquarium fishery comprising 73 percent of the total fish catch and 67 percent of the total value, or nearly $1 million. Of that haul, more than 90 percent of the statewide yellow tang catch comes from the Big Island and almost all of that from West coast of the Big Island. That equates to 354,000 Big Island yellow tang caught last year. Source:DAR…

Happy New Year ■ The first Nu‘uanu catfish session starts January 10, 2009. Because the water level rose and fell several times during the past month, it is nigh impossible to predict what the level will be when this issue hits the stands. Last year was a banner year for many, and hopefully this coming session will bring equal joy. What baits should you bring? If past experience isa guide, then any of the standard baits will work equally well at this time of year. Another Discovery Great Fish at Ho' omaluhia The grass carp have gotten quite big. As far as I know, not one single carp has been caught so far. I am guessing that some of them must weigh in at 20 lbs or more. One morning…

O‘ahu’s Bomb Robots ■ The U.S. Army will begin testing undersea robots to remove World War II chemical munitions dumped off O'ahu’s southern coast. The robots will also remove regular munitions off Wai'anae reefs. This is the country’s biggest push to date to clean up derelict bombs. The chemicals in 18,000 bombs include 181 tons of Lewisite, 2,171 tons of mustard gas, 204 tons of cyanogen chloride and 2 tons of cyanide. They are 5 to 10 miles off O'ahu in 1,200 to 10,000 feet of water in three sites. The Army is responsible for munitions cleanup regardless which branch dumped them. UH’s Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory will use submersibles PISCES IV and PISCES V and a robot vehicle to visually survey the dump sites and take soil and water…

All Things Considered-December 8, 2008 ■ Two years ago, President Bush won high praise from a group that’s been largely critical of him: environmentalists. They were elated after the president declared a huge area near Hawai'i a protected marine monument. The White House is now trying to secure the president’s place in ocean history with a similar preserve elsewhere in the Pacific. Only this time, the political sailing isn't so smooth, and the administration may be scaling back its ambitious plans. The heart of the new marine monument would be in U.S. territorial waters north of Guam-the Northern Mariana Islands. Ike Cabrerra, from the island of Saipan, is one of just a handful of people who have ever made it to the north end of the island chain. "There’s no…

■ The New Year is starting with many resolutions. This is the perfect time to decide to take control of protecting a precious and irreplaceable resource and lifestyle by correcting imbalances before they are past the point of restoration. These may sound like big words and big concepts that are far away and not really our problem, but it is exactly our problem. It is literally lapping our very shores. And only our voices being raised in enough numbers to be heard loudly and clearly will make a difference. We all know that the ocean is being over-fished. Every time you go out fishing, diving, or just snorkeling, you can tell it just isn't like it once was. The ones affected most by this problem are contributing to it least.…

■ "Let’s Go Fishing" is broadcast locally on KHON-TV Sundays at 5:30 p.m., cablecast on digital channel CW 93 Saturdays at 5:30 p.m., and is also available for viewing online at <http://www.benwongtv.com>. This Month on 'Let’s Go Fishing' Sunday, January 4, on KHON; and Saturday, January 10, on CW 93 This weekend we spend some time with the participants of the Lana 'i Keiki Fishing Tournament. Kim Masse organizes this yearly tradition for families on Lana'i to enjoy island style living at its best. Then, we hook up with George Purdy and his posse to enjoy the beauty of the Ka'ena shoreline on this secluded island. Here the fishing is fun and the catching is effortless. Our chef du jour is Oliver Beckart of the Four Seasons Manele Bay. On…

■ Another spearfishing adventure occurred off the CHELSIE ROSE. I had to work that day so I couldn't go, but Hanalei Adric had the green light to jump on board. I gave them a call at about 10 a.m. Hanalei said that he'd shot some mu and uhu. He didn't tell me about shooting mahimahi. I guess he wanted to keep it a secret till I got home. Mahimahi are usually found earlier in the year, but this year they came in later-in November. When Hanalei came home from diving, he said that they'd gone to the two buoys on the south side and shot two small mahimahi. When Hanalei pulled the two fish out of the fishbox, one looked like it weighed 30 lbs and the other looked larger.…

■ Our son, Nick Ehrhorn, graduated from Iolani School in 2000. He could have gone away to the mainland for school, but he decided on the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Three of his surfing buddies went with him that first semester. Three came home, and Nick stayed. He loved the Big Island and all that it had to offer. He proclaimed in his sophomore year that he wanted to marry a local girl and make his life in Hilo. He joined a canoe club, limited his surfing and got into fishing! He always loved to fish, but he could never beat the seasickness he experienced when out on the sea. He went anyway. Even as he turned green, he and his friends actually won a fishing tournament at the…

Dear Chuck, The tropical fish business has been under increased scrutiny for well over a decade starting back in Kona where local activist and scuba dive companies had a conflict with some tropical fish divers about missing yellow tangs (herbivorous surgeonfish). This brought about change in the fishery by setting up numerous off-limit areas, known as FRAs or MPAs (replenishment areas), and a council was formed called the West Hawaii Fisheries Council. Currently West Hawai'i faces more restrictions at the suggestion of this council, despite the fact that the resource management plan has proven itself a winner. In Maui and O'ahu there is a huge push by Snorkel Bob, his foundation (Snorkel Bob Foundation) and his other coalition (Save Hawaiian Reefs) to grind out the little guy. The first campaign…

Part 1 in a series about inshore fish of Hawaii. The 12-part series is a project of the Hawaii Fisheries Local Action Strategy. THIS IS EXACTLY HOW MANAGEMENT IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. In 2000, the state started aggressively managing yellow tang, the prize fish of the aquarium trade in Hawaii. It was a move that came on the heels of community concern that the fish were being overharvested. Since, the yellow tang population along Kona coast-the heart of the aquarium trade in Hawaii has increased an impressive 35 percent. But at the same time, the number of yellow tangs collected for the aquarium trade jumped 81 percent. The value of the yellow tang catch overall increased 164 percent, leaping from $383,000 to more than $1 million per year. So there…

■ Educators attending the Hawaii Science Teachers Association’s annual fall conference, November 22, 2008, at Honolulu Community College, were treated with news of two innovative programs that bring marine education and conservation to students in Hawai'i’s classrooms and after-school programs. The Fish Larvae Raising (FLR) Education Program and Post-Larvae Raising (PLR) After School Program are the brainchild of Richard Xie, president of Hawaiian Sealife Inc. Assisting him is Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis, the company’s education director. At their display booth and during a well-attended presentation, Richard and Stephen explained how the three- to five-month programs are already exciting teachers and students in five schools on O'ahu. Richard envisions the programs expanding to schools on the neighbor islands and throughout the nation in the near future. "We proudly introduce a natural, innovative…

Aloha Randy: Thank you very much for your E-mail and sage advice. (Smile.) I have inserted some comments under your text so it will be easier to understand: Aloha, Knud! Thank you for the great articles on freshwater fishing in Hawai'i. I have a few comments on the article in the October issue of HFN. The picture captioned "Another hidden structure never seen before was this large rock. No doubt, the source of much lost tackle!" shows I believe a portion of a wooden dock or pier. The people standing behind it are on the ramp portion. I fished there this past session and noticed that it does form a ramp (from left to right in the picture)and leads to wooden planks in the water, and I stood on it…

Dear Commercial Fishers and Fish Dealers: At the 143rd meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WESPAC), of which the state is a voting member, the Council recommended a TAC of 241,000 lbs for the main Hawaiian islands commercial bottomfish fishery during the upcoming fishing period, which began on November 15, 2008, and extends to August 31, 2009. Fishing for "Deep Seven" bottom fish will be allowed until the TAC is attained, or the end of the fishing period, whichever comes first. Although the NMFS recently determined that the entire archipelagic bottomfish stock is no longer in a state of overfishing, their analysis indicates that the main Hawaiian islands portion of the fishery continues to experience overfishing. As a result, state and Federal managers have concurred that there…

Aloha, You might be interested in reporting this to your readers. It is an enormous project with serious effect on our bottom fishery. Joana Varawa Lana'i Company Applies To Place Chinese-Made Wind Turbines Offshore by Larry Geller ■ Hawai'i-made wave generators? Chinese-made wind turbines? Which would be employed in an offshore energy project reported in the press recently? The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that Grays Harbor Ocean Energy Company has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permits to harness energy from waves off the coastline of six states. One of those states is Hawai'i. The Hawai'i proposal calls for 100 wave-energy conversion platforms to be built 15 to 25 miles off Honolulu. It’s not clear that this proposal is even on the radar here in the state where…

■ The Kaua'i Third Annual Ulua and Papio Challenge was held on the weekend of Halloween this year. Fishing started at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 31, and the weigh-in was held on Sunday, November 2, at 11 a.m. The weather was a challenge with rain and wind, but many impressive fish were still caught. J.K. was there filming for the "J.K. Show." A delicious lunch was provided for all the participants. Prizes ranged from 5-gallon buckets filled with tackle to gift certificates and the always-popular cash awards for the top three anglers. According to the organizer, Phil Hocson, next year’s event will have a new format with a tag-and-release program. Until then, "sea ya." … Brad Challenge Results Ulua Category First Kevin Pongast…………….. 49.4 lbs Papio Category First Gage…

■ I'm looking forward to a great 2009. Fishing in 2008 was good and a lot of good fishing trips were had, but it was a trying year. One of my best fishing partners, my mom, passed away. She would keep me company on many outings for papio, and she often outfished me. She even held an IGFA world record for the women’s 20-lb class for 'omilu. In fact, she opened that category with its first recorded catch. Another fishing partner of mine, Ted Teramoto, with whom I took trips to the Big Island, passed on, too. Ted was one of those guys that always smiled and laughed. He was a great handpole angler. He loved his light tackle and often caught impressive-sized fish with finesse. I miss them both…

Hawai'i Calls, Once Again ■ After 14 long months of anticipation and preparation, Jon Yoshihara (Yoshi) and John Kurahara, who couldn't take the pressure and was here in March for an epic 'ahi day, returned with a new recruit to Makaira, Rick Suzumoto, for another round of Taveuni fishing with Capt. John Llanes and "Baba" (Varun Narayan). They arrived armed with sample kits to take small fin samples for DNA testing to further the research that is being conducted on G.T.s. Because Fiji is still relatively uncharted territory, there are no restrictions or seasons to target specific species of fish. It is wide open to set up a sport fishery that is based on conservation, research and releasing G.T.s and bill-fish while still enjoying a bottomfish dinner with the gang.…

Marine Ornamentals-A Significant Economic Sector in the Pacific Region ■ Currently, on average, the Pacific islands region exports a million ornamental fish and coral pieces and 700 tons of "live rock" worth $59 million (U.S.) for the marine aquarium industry. The trade has been in the region for almost 40 years. Recently, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) hosted a workshop at SPC headquarters in Noumea on the marine ornamental trade. The workshop was a technical consultation between private and public stakeholders and specialists who are active in the region’s marine ornamental trade sector. The goal of the workshop was to examine the trade and identify national and regional initiatives that will ensure the long-term ecological, social and economic…

Across 1. Yellow __, the prize fish of the aquarium trade in Hawaii 5. A make on the island of Hawai'i 9. Eggs of fishes 13. Healing plants 15. Forbidden acts, for a kid 16. Go quickly 17. Aussie bird 18. E-mail address ending 19. Lean 20. Often painted flowers 23. Connecticut, for short 24. Fishing pole part 27. Luau lunch option 28. Hawaiian Island 29. Show up 30. Single, before a vowel 31. Storyline 33. __boat 34. View 36. Volumetric Efficiency, for short 37. Sand ridge 39. Cuttlefish ejections 41. Largemouth or smallmouth type 43. __ fish, seasonal game fish 44. Beach grease 45. Fast, leaping mackerel 47. Fish n' chips fish 48. Tuna fin color? 51. Banned pesticide 53. Well enough 55. Letter opener? 56. Helm heading 57.…

Attached herewith are letters to the President of the United States of America and his various cabinet members regarding the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands(CNMI) governments' opposition to the proposed national marine monument in the jurisdiction. Governor Fitial’s opposition to the proposed national marine monument is echoed by the CNMI Legislature and all the mayors of the islands. We attended the 20th U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting in Kona, Hawai'i where we provided testimony regarding this matter on Wednesday 27 August 2008 at 1:30 p.m. We are available to answer any questions through this email or directly at (670) 287-2766. John B. Joyner, Ph.D Director, CNMI Coastal Resources Management Office Sylvan O. lgisomar Director, CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife 20th U.S. Coral Task Force Meeting Keauhou, Hawai'i,…

■ The month was a fairly decent one for fishing, especially when you compare it to the previous November. All in all, a total of 41 marlin were caught, 20 of which were tagged and released. This year, the marlin numbers surpassed last year’s by more than 170 percent. Of the 21 marlin boated, five were well over the 500-lb mark. The previous November there was only one marlin that weighed more than 500 lbs. The billfish numbers were not the only numbers to increase: there were also 10 'ahi over the 100-lb mark, up by 25 percent from the previous year. The month started off slowly. One mahimahi and one marlin were caught on the 1st; however, this marlin wasn't just any marlin. It weighed in at 672 lbs.…

■ Aloha from the Friendly Isle of Moloka'i. Here’s wishing everyone a prosperous, healthy and happy 2009. There sure was a lot of stretching in 2008, especially in the financial arena. A lot of it was due to the astronomical prices of fuel. Let’s hope now that the prices have diminished substantially, they will remain there for a good while. Even though gas is under $2 a gallon on O'ahu, it’s still over $3 a gallon on Moloka'i. Go figure. I guess that’s the price of living in paradise. There was not much to report from offshore, but a local diver has been having more than his share of good fortune. Pernell Mondoy is in the limelight once again. It’s very well deserved, as this guy really walks in humility…

■ In January, the middle of winter, weather can be varied-ranging from very nice to very bad days. More days will be nice, but the month probably will have some severe weather that no one should be caught in. The onset of bad weather is faster than at other times, and the weather is more severe. The severe weather in decreasing events that are likely to occur are, gusty trade winds, high northwest swell and surf, cold front with gusty Kona winds, upper trough and Kona lows. Expect six to 12 days of gusty trades even though January has the lowest number of trade wind days. High northwest swell and surf continue in January. Expect about eight days with surf heights at Sunset Beach, O'ahu, to be over 10 feet…