New Methods for Non-Commerical Catch

Published

March 20, 2025

The meeting was held at Pier 38 on March 20, 2025. The following summarizes the discussions that were had during the meeting.

Presentation on PIFSC Deep 7 Research Track Discussion Questions:

Discussion on Including Uku vs. Deep 7:

Potential to merge if resources allow and commonalities exist.
Uku has its own research (e.g., uku mail survey) that could inform catch understanding in Deep 7.
Some argue uku should be included since expert fishermen see similarities with Deep 7.
Concerns about lack of transparency in uku single-species assessments.
Deep 7 assessments rely on commercial catch and assumptions about recreational catch.
Issues with reporting and tracking quotas, especially for Kona crab.
Questions raised about the rationale behind shark depredation tracking and quota management.

Challenges in Combining Uku and the Deep 7 into the Same Research Track:

Different commercial-to-noncommercial catch ratios.
Uku involves more kayak, nearshore, and spearfishing, making noncommercial catch difficult to capture.
Commercial fishers bear the main regulatory burden.

Recognition and Concerns about Data & Species Complexity:

Some applaud the group for its recognized groundbreaking work.
Concerns remain over the push to separate species into subcomplexes or single-species assessments.
Issues with poor data—analysis is ineffective if the data itself is flawed.
Need for enforcement on reporting recreational catches.
Mainland fisheries have more targeted species management compared to island fisheries.

Data System and Reporting Issues:

Plans to revamp the data system exist, but the timeline is unclear.
Considerations about how grouping species affects assessments.
Suggestion to provide a broad overview of the rationale behind assessment changes.
Working groups discussing best approaches to assessments and management.

Concerns About Small Fishery Size and Data Limitations:

Single-species management may be correct in theory but difficult in practice.
Some species, like paka, migrate and fluctuate in availability over cycles.
Question raised about whether other regions’ recreational fishing assessments can offer insights.
Large numbers of recreational fishers make assessments challenging.

MRIP and Noncommercial Data Collection:

Ongoing efforts to refine MRIP data, considering regional and national objectives.
Some regions acknowledge MRIP’s shortcomings.
Suggestion to use the bottomfish registry to collect noncommercial data.
Testing this approach with uku.

Noncommercial Catch & Catch Limits:

Questions about whether noncommercial catch is too high since ACLs haven’t been met.
Concerns that refining noncommercial estimates could impact catch limits.
Patterns show noncommercial fishers go out only during favorable conditions, while commercial fishers operate year-round.
Seasonal and cyclical variations in catches noted, particularly for paka.

Shark Depredation & Fishing Behavior Changes:

Bottomfish Vessel Registry (BFVR) Method Presentation by DAR/PIFSC Issues with Registration & Catch Estimates:

Challenges with boat registration and removing old boats from records.
The number of boats is easier to track than individual fishers.
Questions about why noncommercial fishers appear to catch similar amounts as commercial fishers.
Possible overestimation of noncommercial fishers due to unnecessary registrations.
Concerns that some fishers register despite not targeting Deep 7.
Long-standing complaints about reliance on MRIP interviews for catch estimates.

Underreported Commercial Catch & Data Assumptions:

Next Steps:

Proposal to meet in a few weeks to address decision points for analysis.
New MRIP Approach presentation postponed until next meeting due to time constraints