Posted on: Saturday, June 23, 2001

Council limits coral harvesting

Advertiser Staff

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council agreed Thursday to establish a very large "no-take" area for deep-water precious pink, red and gold corals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

The area would run approximately 250 miles from the Wespac Refugia, an area northwest of Ni'ihau, and extend from the southeast of Necker Island to the southeastern edge of Brooks Bank and to a depth of 4,500 feet.

The council also voted to ban the harvesting of gold coral throughout the entire Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and to limit the harvesting of pink and red coral to 5 percent of the stock.

Deep-water corals are used to produce fine jewelry and have a potential economic value of $25 million to Hawai'i.

The council finalized its Coral Reef Ecosystem Fishery Management Plan, which establishes conservation measures to protect coral reef resources in federal waters surrounding Hawai'i, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and other U.S. Pacific Islands.

One part of the plan establishes permit and reporting requirements and bans the take of wild live rock and live hard corals. Additionally, it establishes fishing gear restrictions that prohibit the use of poisons, explosives and intoxicating substances; bans spearfishing with scuba gear at night in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and remote U.S. Pacific Islands; and limits the use of traps to appropriate areas and conditions.

The council said it will continue to support the development of a limited entry program from the American Samoa longline fishery and urged the National Marine Fishery Service to expedite implementation of a 50-nautical-mile closed area for pelagic fishing vessels larger than 50 feet in federal waters around the islands of American Samoa.