This biological information, when combined with an assessment of the fish’s reproduction, make the life history of ‘ōpakapaka the most well understood of the Deep 7 bottomfish. But several age estimation and validation techniques have revealed that the species can live more than 40 years. The ‘ōpakapaka was once thought to be a short-lived species that didn’t live longer than 20 years. ‘Ōpakapaka-one of the snappers of this group-has set the stage for studies currently underway for the other Deep 7 members. Age, growth, longevity, and maturity are important biological parameters for understanding the life history of these species. Much of the biology of the Deep 7 bottomfish is either not known or was only recently investigated. State and federal regulations complement each other, and fishermen should check with the Department of Land and Natural Resources for bottomfish fishery regulations that apply in state waters. Seafood dealers, markets, restaurants, and anyone else are prohibited from possessing or selling Deep 7 bottomfish during a fishery closure. When the limit is reached, all fishing (commercial and non-commercial) for Deep 7 species is prohibited in state waters (shoreline to 3 nautical miles offshore) and federal waters around the main Hawaiian Islands for the remainder of the fishing year. The fishing year for the Deep 7 bottomfish starts on September 1 and runs through August 31 of the following year, unless the annual catch limit is reached before August 31. This limit reflects the status of the bottomfish stock, based on scientific information collected by the state of Hawaiʻi and NOAA Fisheries, including commercial and non-commercial fishing data and other information, and considers the associated risk of overfishing. The Council recommends, and NOAA Fisheries approves, an annual catch limit for the Deep 7 bottomfish each year. The implemented regulations affect everyone who fishes non-commercially (recreational and subsistence) or commercially for Deep 7 bottomfish fishing in federal waters (3 to 200 nautical miles from shore) of the main Hawaiian Islands. This management philosophy is described in the Hawaii Archipelago Ecosystem Management Plan. To provide for a sustainable harvest, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended federal regulations for Deep 7 bottomfish, including an annual catch limit and non-commercial bag limits, vessel marking requirements, a federal non-commercial bottomfish permit, and reporting requirements. NOAA Fisheries shares management of the Deep 7 bottomfish complex with the State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Land and Natural Resources.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |