Did you hear aboutthe Federal catch limitsthat are now in place for Hawaiian reef fish, lobsters, Kona crab, deep-water shrimp, precious corals and bottomfish? Well, they're here - all commercial and recreational fishermen in Hawaii mustfollow these annual catch limits (see table).
Why are catch limits needed? Congress enacted the requirements for annual catch limits in all U.S. fisheries. The limits in the table were recommended bythe Western Pacific Fishery Management Council and approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to enable sustainable, long-term catches for Hawaii fishermen, by protecting against overfishing.
Are any species exempt from the catch limits? Yes. Fish that are managed under international treaties, like yellowfin and bigeye tunas, mahimahi, opah, ono, monchong, oceanic sharks, billfish, and swordfish are exempted from the Federal catch limits.…
