Conservation International

Community Input Report: The Feasibility of a Non-Commercial Marine Fishing Registry, Permit, or License System in Hawaii

2018

Conservation International Hawai'i; Western Pacific Regional FisheryManagement Council

"In 2016, Conservation International's Hawai'i program and the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council discovered that they both wanted to better understand the issues and find the available facts about whether a registry, permit, or license (RPL) system for non-commercial marine fishing could be possible in Hawai'i. The two organizations jointly invited fishing experts and leaders in Hawai'i to create an informal study group that guided a joint fact-finding process conducted over most of 2016. After looking into the available facts together, the study group produced a report of what it had found, and identified areas of alignment and shared goals of a diverse set of people who are interested in ensuring abundant fisheries and non-commercial fishing traditions for future generations in Hawai'i. The report provided more than 20 recommendations, a primary one being that extensive outreach, consultation, and discussions with stakeholders be conducted statewide before and as part of any decision-making process to pursue any of the RPL options. Between June and December 2018, the study group members jointly designed and implementedma statewide effort to invite non-commercial fishers and other interested stakeholders to share their thoughts, concerns, questions, and suggestions on the topic of non-commercial marine fishing registry, permit, or license systems for Hawai'i. The study group tested two distinct outreach approaches during this period, however this community input report focuses primarily on the second approach, which emphasized making the information from the study group's 2016 report more accessible to fishers and other interested stakeholders. These information exchanges were intended to share the report information in multiple ways; to provide a safe, neutral space for attendees to share information with each other; and to collect input directly from attendees (in their own words)."

Hawaii, fisheries licensing system, RPL system, coral reef fisheries, fisheries management, outreach

NOS

OCM

FY2016 CRCP Project ID 31103; Project Title: FY16/FY17/FY18/FY19 - Non-Governmental Organization Partnership; Principal Investigator: Craig Reid; Grant NA16NOS4820105.

NA16NOS4820105