CANCELED: Meeting on Proposed Moomomi Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area, molokai

CANCELED

All stakeholders are encouraged to attend public hearings on the proposed adoption of a new chapter under Hawaii Administrative Rules to establish the Moomomi Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) on Molokai’s northwestern coast. The goal of the CBSFA is to establish co-management and protection of fish stocks and to reaffirm traditional and customary native Hawaiian subsistence fishing practices.

Brian Neilson, Administrator of the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) said, “These hearings will be a great opportunity for the department to hear from everyone regarding this important co-management effort.”

The proposed CBSFA extends from Ilio Point in the west to Nihoa Flats in the east; from the shoreline out to approximately one mile. The proposed rules would establish new bag limits, size limits, seasonal closures, and/or gear restrictions for uhu, kumu, kole, moi, spiny lobster, opihi, and limu; prohibit night diving and SCUBA spearfishing; prohibit commercial fishing, with excep-tions for bottom fishing for deep-7 bottom fish and trolling for all species; and establish special regulations to minimize disturbance of the marine environment in Kawaaloa Bay.

“DLNR and DAR are excited to continue moving forward with community co-management efforts such as the Moomomi CBSFA” said Luna Kekoa, CBSFA Planner with DAR. He added, “this is just one example of how we can meet the Governor’s goal to effectively manage at least 30% of nearshore marine waters of the Main Hawaiian Islands by 2030.

All interested people are urged to attend one of the hearings to present relevant information and individual opinion for the DLNR to consider. Anyone unable to attend or wishing to present addi-tional comments may mail or email written testimony by Friday, April 3, 2020 to the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 330, Honolulu, HI 96813, DLNR.Aquatics@hawaii.gov

Hearing impaired individuals may request the assistance of a sign language interpreter, seven days prior to a hearing’s start. Additional information or a copy of the proposed rules will be mailed at no charge upon receipt of a verbal or written request. The requests may be made in writing (to the DAR address in the preceding paragraph), or by calling 587-0100 (voice or TDD) in Honolulu.

The Rules can be reviewed online at http://ltgov.hawaii.gov/the-office/administrative-rules or at http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/rules-and-public-notices/