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Findings and Recommendations of Effectiveness of the West Hawai'i Regional Fishery Management Area (WHRFMA)

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Findings and Recommendations of Effectiveness of the West Hawai'i Regional Fishery Management Area (WHRFMA) Report to the Thirtieth Legislature 2020 Regular Session Findings and Recommendations of Effectiveness of the West Hawai'i Regional Fishery Management Area (WHRFMA) Prepared by: Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources State of Hawai'i In response to Section 188F-5, Hawaiʹi Revised Statutes November 2019 Findings and Recommendations of Effectiveness of the West Hawai'i Regional Fishery Management Area (WHRFMA) CORRESPONDING AUTHOR William J. Walsh Ph.D., Hawai′i Division of Aquatic Resources CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Stephen Cotton, M.S., Hawai′i Division of Aquatic Resources Laura Jackson, B. S., Hawai′i Division of Aquatic Resources Lindsey Kramer, M.S., Hawai′i Division of Aquatic Resources, Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit Megan Lamson, M.S., Hawai′i Division of Aquatic Resources, Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit Stacia Marcoux, M.S., Hawai′i Division of Aquatic Resources, Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit Ross Martin B.S., Hawai′i Division of Aquatic Resources, Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit Nikki Sanderlin. B.S., Hawai′i Division of Aquatic Resources ii PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT This report, which covers the period between 2015 - 2019, is submitted in compliance with Act 306, Session Laws of Hawai′i (SLH) 1998, and subsequently codified into law as Chapter 188F, Hawaiʹi Revised Statutes (HRS) - West Hawai'i Regional Fishery Management Area. Section 188F-5, HRS, requires a review of the effectiveness of the West Hawai′i Regional Fishery Management Area shall be conducted every five years by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), in cooperation with the University of Hawai′i (Section 188F-5 HRS). iii CONTENTS PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT .................................................................................................. iii SUMMARY OF FINDINGS .........................................................................................................1 SUMMARY OF MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................9 BACKGROUND ..........................................................................................................................11 Act 306, Session Laws of Hawaiʹi (SLH) 1998 ...................................................................... 11 The West Hawai'i Fishery Council (WHFC) .......................................................................... 13 Economics and Monitoring of the West Hawaiʹi Aquarium Fishery ...................................... 17 Chronology of the Closure of the West Hawaiʹi Aquarium Fishery ....................................... 22 West Hawai′i Aquarium Project (WHAP) .............................................................................. 23 FINDINGS AND EVALUATION ..............................................................................................25 Fish Replenishment Areas (FRAs)- Aquarium Collecting Impacts ....................................... 25 Species-Specific Findings: Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens, Lauʹipala) ....................... 27 Goldring Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus strigosus, Kole) ............................................................ 36 Other White List Species, Catch ranked 3-10 ......................................................................... 41 Achilles Tang (Acanthurus achilles, Pākuʹikuʹi) ..................................................................... 42 26 Other White List Species ................................................................................................... 48 Endemic Species on the White List ........................................................................................ 54 Aquarium Reef Fish Catch vs. Non-aquarium Catch ............................................................. 63 NOAA West Hawaiʹi Integrated Ecosystem Assessment ....................................................... 66 Adaptive Management of the Aquarium Fishery .................................................................... 72 Nearshore (Shallow-Water) Resource Fishery ....................................................................... 73 West Hawaiʹi Coral Reef Decline Due to Severe Thermal Stress Events (Coral Bleaching) . 85 Other Issues of Concern within the WHRFMA (2014-2019) ................................................. 92 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................95 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................97 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Locations of Fish Replenishment Areas (FRAs) in West Hawai'i and DAR monitoring sites ....................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 2. Economic value for various inshore fisheries of the Main Hawaiian Islands. ........ 17 Figure 3. Comparison between Hawai'i Island aquarium collector report data and dealer purchases of aquarium animals from the collectors. ............................................................................... 20 Figure 4. Number of aquarium animals collected, and number of commercial aquarium permits in West Hawai′i for FY 1976-2018. ............................................................................................ 21 Figure 5. Overall changes in Yellow Tang abundance (Mean ± SE) in FRAs, MPAs and Open areas, 1999-2018. .................................................................................................................... 27 Figure 6. Difference in mean Yellow Tang abundance in West Hawai′i Fish Replenishment Areas (FRAs, n=9) relative to Open Areas (n=10). .......................................................................... 28 Figure 7. Long-term changes in Yellow Tang abundance at two South Kohala sites. ................ 30 Figure 8. Long-term changes in Yellow Tang abundance at Ke′ei, South Kona. ........................ 31 Figure 9. Yellow Tang abundance in adult habitats relative to distance of survey site from nearest protected area boundary. ......................................................................................................... 32 Figure 10. Adult Yellow Tang abundance (Mean ±SE) in West Hawaiʹi shallow water ............ 33 (10’-20’) habitats. ......................................................................................................................... 33 Figure 11. Comparison of size distributions of Yellow Tang at various Main Hawaiian Island (MHI) sites 2006-2008. ........................................................................................................... 34 Figure 12. Comparison of size distributions of Yellow Tang at various Northwestern Hawaiian Island (NWHI) and West Hawai′i 2006-2008. ....................................................................... 34 Figure 13. Comparison of aquarium fish abundances in West Hawai′i Open Areas with Maui MPAs 2002-2010. A - Asterisk indicates a statistically significant difference (t – test ≤ 0.005). Note differences in scale of Y axis in A vs. B. .......................................................... 35 Figure 14. Overall changes in Goldring Surgeonfish (Kole) abundance (Mean ± SE) in FRAs, MPAs and Open areas, 1999-2018. ........................................................................................ 36 Figure 15. Difference in Kole abundance in West Hawai′i FRAs (n=9) relative to Open Areas (n=10).. .................................................................................................................................... 37 Figure 16. Long-term changes in Kole abundance at two South Kohala sites. ........................... 38 Figure 17. Long-term changes in Kole abundance at Ke′ei, South Kona. ................................... 39 Figure 18. Comparison of size distributions of Kole at various Main Hawaiian Island (MHI) sites 2006-2008. .............................................................................................................................. 40 Figure 19. Comparison of size distributions of Kole at various Northwestern Hawaiian Island (NWHI) sites and West Hawaiʹi 2006-2008. .......................................................................... 40 Figure 20. Overall changes in the abundance (Mean ± SE) of the top 3-10 collected aquarium species in Open Areas, MPAs and FRAs, 1999-2018. ........................................................... 41 Figure 21. West Hawai′i commercial Achilles Tang aquarium landings and ex-vessel price per fish per fiscal year. .................................................................................................................. 42 Figure 22. Overall changes in Achilles Tang abundance in FRAs, MPAs and Open areas, 1999- 2018......................................................................................................................................... 43 v Figure 23. Difference in Achilles Tang abundance in West Hawai′i FRAs (n=9) relative to Open Areas (n=10). .......................................................................................................................... 44 Figure 24. Mean (±SE) biomass of Achilles Tang on SWRF surveys. ....................................... 45 Figure 25. Long term changes in Achilles Tang populations at Puakō and Pauoa. ..................... 45 Figure 26. Long term changes in Achilles Tang populations at Ke′ei, South Kona. ................... 46 Figure 27. Number of Achilles Tang caught per day by West Hawai′i aquarium collectors
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