Hawaii island subsistence fishing area gets final approval

A subsistence fishing area in Milolii on Hawaii island has been established to ensure abundant fish stocks and perpetuate traditional and cultural practices in Hawaii.

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources on Thursday gave final approval to designate the Milolii Community Based Subsistence Fishing Area, located along the southwest coast of Hawaii island.

“This has been a long road for the people of Miloli‘i, but they persevered, and the designation of the CBSFA will ensure long-term sustainable populations of fish and other marine species and encourage the scientific study and understanding of subsistence fishing management,” said BLNR Chair Suzanne Case in a statement.

The final approval came after the area, dubbed the “Last Fishing Village in Hawaiʻi Nei,” in 2005 became the first permanent, legislatively designated CBSFA by the Hawaii state Legislature. Public scoping by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources, which began in December, took place prior to the vote.

The CBSFA rules include: size and bag limits for pakuikui, kole, uhu, opihi and ula; seasonal restrictions for kole, opelu, uu and uhu; take bans for terminal males of larger uhu species, female aama with eggs, opihi koele and aquarium fishing; and gear and species restrictions within sub-areas within the CBSFA.

The DLNR, in a news release, said that the coastal areas surrounding Milolii are among the last pockets in the state where traditional Hawaiian fishing practices have been preserved and are still being practiced today. A high number of villagers in the area and other South Kona communities have said that fishing is the primary occupation.

The DLNR worked with the Milolii-based community group, called Kalanihale, to develop the rules of the CBSFA.