A bill passed by the 2022 State Legislature banning the use of drones for fishing was signed into law by Gov. Ige June 27, 2022 and took effect immediately. Act 207 (SB2065) prohibits the possession or use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) on, in, or near state marine waters for purposes of fishing, unless permitted ...
Read More Governor signs bill prohibiting drone fishing
The Department of Land and Natural Resources, in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is preparing a joint Environmental Impact Statement for the initiation of a potential national marine sanctuary designation at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Please see the linked Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to learn more about these different Marine Protected ...
Read More Papahānaumokuākea Sanctuary Designation FAQs
The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources is scheduling a virtual public scoping session for the proposed Kīpahulu Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) on Tuesday, June 7th, 2022 from 5:30-7:30 pm HST. The proposed Kīpahulu CBSFA is from Kālepa Gulch in the southwest to Pua‘alu‘u Gulch in the northeast, spanning roughly ...
Read More Scoping meeting scheduled for proposed Kīpahulu Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area
Open season for rainbow trout will begin June 18, 2022 in the Kōke‘e Public Fishing Area (PFA) on Kaua‘i. Anglers may fish daily from June 18 to September 30, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The governor’s emergency public health proclamation has ended, so there will be no lottery this year. Trout are found in streams ...
Read More Annual rainbow trout season at Kōkeʻe, Kauaʻi opens June 18
The Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) will be holding two public hearings, one online and one in person, for the proposed Miloli‘i Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) to ensure long-term sustainable populations of fish and other marine species and to reaffirm and perpetuate fishing practices that were customarily and traditionally exercised for Native Hawaiian subsistence, ...
Read More Public Hearings for proposed Miloli‘i Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) scheduled for April 20, 2022
The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will hold a statewide online public hearing on proposed amendments to Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) chapter 13-75 relating to rules regulating the possession and use of certain fishing gear, and chapter 13-60.4 relating to rules for the West Hawai‘i Regional Fishery Management Area, Hawai‘i. The proposed amendments ...
Read More Public hearing scheduled to update rules regulating the possession and use of certain fishing gear, and rules relating to the West Hawai‘i Regional Fishery Management Area
On Friday, February 25, 2022 the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) approved the reopening of all bottomfish restricted fishing areas (BFRAs) which had been closed to fishing since 2007. Registered bottomfish vessels are now allowed to fish for deep-7 bottomfish in all previously closed BRFAs. In its presentation to the BLNR, the Division ...
Read More All bottomfish restricted fishing areas now open
The following bills are being tracked by DAR, and we are providing testimony on them. Click on the links provided to view the bill and its status. Interested parties are encouraged to provide their own testimony through the Hawaii State Legislature website. See the “Help and Information” links on the right side of the page, ...
Read More Aquatic Resource bills introduced in the 2022 State Legislature
The Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) will be hosting a virtual Holoholo fisher talk story session for interested fishers on Thursday, January 27 from 5:30-7:30 pm. Unlike past sessions for each island, this will be a statewide session to provide an update on proposed legislation for 2022 related to DAR and fishing. We will also ...
Read More Statewide fisher “talk story” session scheduled for Thursday, January 27 via Zoom
A bill passed by the 2021 State Legislature banning shark fishing will take effect January 1, 2022. Act 51 (House Bill 553) makes it illegal to knowingly capture, entangle, or kill a shark in state marine waters. The new law applies to all shark species found in Hawaiian waters. According to Brian Neilson, Division of ...
Read More Shark fishing ban goes into effect January 1