“Fair Catch: Take What You Need, Not What You Can”

Campaign to Restore Hawaii’s Nearshore Ocean Announced
By The Nature Conservancy, Malama Hawai‘i and SeaWeb

Groups Release Statewide Poll Results;
Urge Need for Responsible Fishing and Ban on Lay Gill Nets

Honolulu, Tuesday, July 19, 2006 – Hawaii’s oceans are a part of our natural and cultural heritage and define us as an Island state. Fishing is key to our lifestyle, but the main islands’ reef fish populations are in a downward spiral, at less than a quarter of what they were a century ago.

Fair Catch, a new campaign of The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i, Malama Hawai‘i and SeaWeb, today released findings from a poll it commissioned on Hawai‘i residents’ attitudes on the ocean.

The statewide telephone survey of 1,022 residents, conducted by independent research firm QMark, shows two-thirds believe the ocean’s condition has worsened in the past few years, and they see a myriad of threats. Scientists often point to overfishing as a chief cause of ocean decline, and Hawai‘i residents agree, with majorities identifying commercial overfishing (77%) and recreational overfishing (63%) as serious problems.

Echoing the public’s concern, the State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) this week holds public hearings on its proposal to restrict a nearshore fishing method called lay gill netting, with three banned areas on O‘ahu and entirely around Maui, along with strong regulations statewide. Scientists and fishers say these nets are indiscriminate and unsustainable. The Fair Catch poll shows support for restrictions is overwhelming (76%) and cuts across all islands and population segments.

*Includes Lana‘i and Moloka‘i

The campaign, Fair Catch: Take What You Need, Not What You Can, was launched today to help restore Hawaii’s nearshore ocean by encouraging fishing with sustainable and responsible methods and supporting actions that will protect the Main Hawaiian Islands’ marine life from further decline.

In Fair Catch’s official comments filed with DLNR today in support of the State’s proposal, the groups said, “There are several threats facing our ocean, but scientists and most fishers agree that overfishing is one of the most serious problems. Given the critical decline in our nearshore fish populations and the indiscriminate and wasteful nature of lay gill nets, we believe the State’s proposal to restrict the use of this fishing method is an important first step. However, we recommend a statewide ban on the use of monofilament lay gill nets to provide even more relief to imperiled reef fish populations.”

Leading Hawai‘i marine scientists are also supporting a statewide ban on lay gill nets, which they call the worst offenders in the precipitous decline of nearshore fisheries. “While pollution, development, and alien species are possibly all contributing to this loss, overfishing is the primary factor,” wrote Drs. John Randall, Charles Birkeland, Richard Pyle and Randall Kosaki in a paper submitted to DLNR today. “Our populations of fishes cannot be sustained if large-scale, indiscriminate and damaging fishing methods, such as use of lay gill nets, are allowed to continue.”

Most fishers agree. Louis “Buzzy” Agard, a fisherman for 60 years, says, “To preserve the species for the future, everyone should have to abide by a moratorium on lay gill net fishing. In our oceans today, too many people are fighting over a diminished resource. Everybody keeps taking, but nobody takes care.” Recreational fisher Bruce Blankenfeld adds: “I’ve seen 10 nets linked for more than a thousand feet, draped like curtains inside the reef. That violates our values of taking only what you need and leaving some for tomorrow.” Former fisherman Thomas Cummings Jr. says, “Our fish and reefs have declined to the point that we cannot be selfish by continuing to use lay nets.”

Lay gill nets are of particular concern because they are often strung together to make nets reaching hundreds, even thousands, of feet, and left unattended for several hours and often overnight. This enables them to catch many fish at once, regardless of size or season. They also can entangle protected species, such as sea turtles and monk seals, and damage coral reefs when not set and removed with care.

In addition to calling for a ban on lay gill nets, Fair Catch is working with local fishers to encourage more sustainable fishing practices. “Some fishing practices are more selective than others,” said Kim Hum, director of the marine program at The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i. “Fishing by throw net, pole and line, hand line, and breath-hold spear fishing can be done in a sustainable way if we take only what we need, avoid damaging the reefs, and release the large fishes that are so critical to replenishing our reefs.”

The campaign also supports improved enforcement of fisheries’ regulations, expanded biological monitoring, and increased public participation in DLNR’s Makai Watch program. According to Hum, “Each of these is essential to ensuring a healthy ocean environment for generations to come.”

The Fair Catch poll of adult Hawai‘i residents, designed by Edge Research and conducted by QMark using random digit dial (RDD) technique to ensure statistical validity, has a margin of error for the sample as a whole is +/- 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The margin of error for subgroups of the sample varies. For more information on the poll or campaign, please contact Shannon Crownover (808) 391-0281, shannon@seaweb.org.