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Conservation and Management Act
(MSA). The MSA is the overarching
regulation for managing American
ocean fisheries. This ensures that fish
stocks are maintained, overfishing
is eliminated and the socioeconomic
benefits for the nation are achieved
over the long-term.
Management decisions are science-
based, precautionary and made through
an open and inclusive process. The
fish population status is reviewed yearly
by a panel of uniquely qualified fishery
scientists. Their assessment of the
condition of the fish populations
determines whether corrective manage-
ment actions are needed. Under MSA,
corrective actions must be taken to
prevent or end overfishing of fish
populations. None of the pelagic fish
populations harvested in Hawaii is
currently overfished. Overfishing has
been detected on Pacific bigeye tuna
and reduced harvest limits are in place.
Adverse ecosystem impacts of fishing
are assessed and controlled. We have
the effective tools and the capacity to
assess fishing impacts, work with
harvesters to develop practical solutions,
and to monitor and document progress.
See Figure 4
Managing Hawaii
fisheries for sustainability.
Sustainable fisheries management
requires that managers know fish
biology, how much fish is being
harvested, the size of fish harvested
and how much effort is required to
catch the fish. Monitoring this informa-
tion over time, gives fishery scientists
and managers an estimate of the fish
population status. Managers must also
anticipate the uncertainties of natural
mortality and environmental variations
that might cause changes in reproduc-
tion and growth. Fishery scientists and
managers therefore depend on working
with the fishing sector to determine
the status of the fish population, the
impacts on the ecosystem and how to
make adjustments or corrective actions
to fish sustainably.
The federal management system for
Hawaii fisheries integrates the roles of
Science and Statistical
Committee at work.
From left:
Drs. Pierre
Kleiber, John Sibert,
Richard DeRiso, John
Hampton, and Milani
Chaloupka
Photo: Oldak Callaghan