Molokai Fishers Register Laynets, Bottomfish Rules

Department of Land and Natural Resources News Release

Lanai and Molokai fishers can register their laynets with staff of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Aquatic (DLNR) Resources Division, who will be on island this month for scheduled public hearings on proposed amendments to bottomfish rules.

The Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) staff will also be available to answer any questions or concerns about various marine resource management issues, such as regulated species rule changes, and will be able to issue commercial fishing licenses or information on DAR’s new onlline commercial fish catch reporting system using the Internet. 

Public hearings for proposed amendments to bottomfish rules and laynet registration are scheduled on these islands on:

Bottomfish rules: Tuesday, March 23 at 6 p.m. at Mitchell Pau’ole Center.
Laynets: Wednesday, March 24, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mitchell Pau‘ole Center.

For information about laynet registration requirements call the Division of Aquatic Resources on Maui at (808) 243-5294 or (808) 268-2162. Or go to the DAR website at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/regulated_gear.html

DLNR is proposing changes to bottomfish administrative rules that would establish a new section to open and close the bottomfish season; change commercial reporting of bottomfish catches from monthly reports to trip reports to the State; change the non-commercial bag limit from only ehu and onaga to all deep-seven species; change the bottomfish vessel registration requirement from “one-time” to annual renewal; allow for the use of certain nets to take Kona crab while on a bottomfish vessel.

All interested persons are urged to attend the public hearing to present relevant information and individual opinion for the DLNR to consider.  Persons unable to attend or wishing to present additional comments, may mail written testimony by Friday, April 9, 2010 to the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 330, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.