Proposal to amend fishing regulations for manini, kole, kala, uhu, and Kona crab

The Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) will request approval from the Board of Land and Natural Resources, at its December 8, 2022 meeting, to hold public hearings to update Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) Chapter 13-95, “Rules Regulating the Taking and Selling of Certain Marine Resources.” The proposed amendments include:

  • Increasing the minimum size for manini (Convict Tang) from five inches to six inches;
  • Establishing a minimum size of five inches for kole (Goldring Surgeonfish);
  • Establishing a bag limit for kala (Bluespine Unicornfish) of two per person per day with a possession and sale exception for commercial marine dealers;
  • Prohibiting the take of any uhu ‘ele‘ele (Terminal-phase Redlip Parrotfish) or uhu uliuli (Terminal-phase Spectacled Parrotfish);
  • Increasing the minimum size for uhu pālukaluka (Non-terminal-phase Redlip Parrotfish) and uhu ‘ahu‘ula (Non-terminal-phase Spectacled Parrotfish) from twelve to fourteen inches;
  • Establishing a minimum size of ten inches for all other uhu (Parrotfish – family Scaridae);
  • Establishing a bag limit of two uhu of any variety per person per day with a possession and sale exception for commercial marine dealers;
  • Allowing the take of female pāpa‘i kualoa (Kona crab) without eggs;
  • Extending the current closed season (May-August) for pāpa‘i kualoa to May-September; and
  • Making other non-substantive housekeeping amendments for clarity and consistency with other chapters including adding new definitions, amending old definitions, and other stylistic and grammatical corrections throughout the chapter.

Download the draft amendments.