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Location: The west coast of Hawai'i Island, from Ka
Lae, Kau (South Point) to Upolu Point, North Kohala, but not including Kawaihae
commercial harbor.
Purpose
- Ensure the sustainability of the State's
nearshore ocean resources;
- Identify areas with resource and use conflicts;
- Provide management plans as well as implementing
regulations for minimizing user conflicts and resource depletion, through
the designation of sections of coastal waters in the West Hawai'i regional
fishery management area as fish replenishment areas where certain specified
fish harvesting activities are prohibited, and other areas where anchoring
and ocean recreation activities are restricted;
- Establish a system of day-use mooring buoys in
high-use coral areas and limit anchoring in some of these areas to prevent
anchor damage to corals;
- Identify areas and resources of statewide
significance for protection;
- Carry out scientific research and monitoring of
the near-shore resources and environment; and
- Provide for substantive involvement of the
community in resource management decisions for this area through facilitated
dialogues community residents and resource users.
Management plan
The department shall develop a West Hawai'i
regional fishery management area plan that identifies and designates appropriate
areas of the management area as follows:
- Designates a minimum of thirty per cent of
coastal waters in the Hawai'i regional fishery management area as fish
replenishment areas in which aquarium fish collection is prohibited;
- Establishes a day-use mooring buoy system along
the coastline of the West Hawai'i regional fishery management area and
designates some high-use areas where no anchoring is allowed;
- Establishes a portion of the fish replenishment
areas as fish reserves where no fishing of reef-dwelling fish is allowed;
and
- Designates areas where the use of gill nets as
set nets shall be prohibited.
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