State to explain new fishing rules
PAIA — In preparation for the Sept. 1, 2011 opening of the main Hawaiian Islands bottomfish fishery, agencies will hold a free Maui workshop on the new bottomfish fishery rules and regulations.
The workshop will be held on Thursday, Aug. 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Paia Community Center.
The workshop will feature interactive booths with information on the new state annual bottomfish vessel registration and commercial bottomfish reporting requirements.
There will be information on changes to the bottomfish Deep-7 annual quota from a total allowable catch (TAC) to an annual catch limit (ACL) and what this means, as well as information on the federal noncommercial bottomfish permit and reporting program.
A forum will be conducted by Western Pacific Fishery Management Council staff on the options for noncommercial fishery data collection.
Workshop participants include the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and Division of Aquatic Resources, and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Admission is free. For more information, call NMFS at (808) 944-2200 or the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council at (808) 522-8220. Information about the workshops will be posted at www.hawaiibottomfish.info.