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Frequently Asked Questions
Hawaii Fishing Industry
Is Hawaii Longline Fishing uncontrolled?
No. Hawaii longline fishermen follow U.S. and international regulations when operating in U.S. and international waters. There is intensive monitoring and enforcement in this fishery and the level of compliance is high.
Are more foreign boats joining Hawaii longline fisheries every year?
No. All vessels operating in Hawaii longline fisheries must be U.S-flagged. No foreign fishing vessels are allowed to engage in longline fishing or transshipment in the Exclusive Economic Zone extending 200 nautical miles offshore of Hawaii1 and foreign vessels cannot unload fish catches in Hawaii. The U.S. Coast Guard is vigilant against illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing vessels.
How is the quantity of fish caught by Hawaii longliners tracked?
Hawaii longline fishermen report their catch. Each landing of fish through the Honolulu Fish Auction is fully traceable to a particular licensed vessel. Hawaii longline operators are required to submit a completed longline fishing logbook that reports the daily fishing activity to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) within 72 hours after returning to port. The reliability of logbook data has been verified using observer data from Hawaii longline fisheries.