At Oki's Seafood Corner in the Ka'ahumanu Foodland Market, Elisa Garcia told The Maui News that if she carries bottomfish after Tuesday, they are "not as fresh," if she can get them. She said she is ordering the popular red snappers like onaga from the Marshall Islands or Fiji.

"I have been asking the customer what they think about the outside country," she said.

But operators of Hawaii and Maui restaurants said they'll respect the closed season and emphasize that the fish they do carry on their menus will be fresh.

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources, cooperating with the Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Council, ordered a shutdown on commercial and recreational fishing around the main Hawaiian Islands for the fish normally caught at depths of 250 to 1,000 feet – the several species of red and pink snappers and the Hawaiian grouper, hapuu.

The closed season will be from Tuesday through Sept. 30.

The conservation actions were based on scientific data indicating the catch and the size of the fish caught were dwindling and the fish populations around Hawaii were "approaching overfishing." The closed season allows some relief to the fish during the spawning season for most of the species, while researchers develop data on what other steps may need to be taken to prevent an overfished condition – when fish populations and the catch collapse completely.

Fishermen affected by the closed season argue that there are other factors affecting the populations and dispute the need to shut down the fisheries even temporarily.

But several restaurant operators not only accept the closure, they're supporting it by taking the banned fish off their menus during the seasonal shutdown.

TS Restaurants, which operates Kimo's, Hula Grill and Leilani's on the Beach on Maui, took the public relations lead by announcing last week that it would remove the popular bottomfish off its menus.

On Maui, Steven Burgelin, general manager for Casanova Italian Restaurant and Deli in Makawao, said he also will not serve out-of-season fish.

"Patrons must accept the fact that this is no season for bottomfish. Please enjoy our swordfish or mahimahi. They are delicious. In the future, we'll have plenty of onaga back," he said.

He said he did not want to use imported bottomfish.

"I think that it's not fair to our local fishermen that restaurants simply keep buying onaga and opakapaka elsewhere," he said.

Other restaurants should "say no to bottomfish in this season of the year."

Still, fish wholesalers expect some level of demand and say they will bring in legally caught fish when available.

Victor Daubert, general manager of Valley Isle Seafood, said he will increase his orders for fish caught outside of Hawaii by about 50 percent while the ban is in place.

"We are making it available because people want that same stuff," he said.

He noted that bottomfish can still be caught in waters around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and those can be sold on the market.

Still, with the loss of the fish caught around the main islands, Daubert expects demand and prices to go up for other fresh fish.

"I would think mahi and the ono are probably going to see higher prices just because more people are going to be offering it," he said.

Mark Mitsuyasu, Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council program officer, said there are still a "number of abundant" fish in the Northwestern Hawaiian Island fishery.

"People shouldn't shy away from consuming fish from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands," he said.

Mitsuyasu said restaurant owners can decide whether to use bottomfish caught in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or take the fish of the menu during the seasonal ban.

The purchaser for one of the largest consumers of fresh fish on Maui, Mama's Fish House, said he's still reviewing options.

Mike Pascher said Mama's buys about 15,000 pounds of fish every month and buys what's caught locally because it's the freshest available. The Kuau restaurant bases its menu daily on available fresh fish, and Pascher said the restaurant is not looking for any fish that's out of season or unavailable locally.

Still, "if one of the boats comes back from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, that's an option," he said. "We are not tied to any specific species . . We are going to maintain our high standards of using locally caught fish."

Daubert said the off-season fish won't be on the menus of half of the restaurants supplied by Valley Isle Seafood.

"The rest are using imports," he said.

Daubert said he anticipates little effect on sales for fish distributors because they will carry other types of fish that remain available.

CLOSED SEASON FOR BOTTOMFISH

State and federal marine agencies have instituted a closed season from Tuesday through Sept. 30 on seven species of bottom fish – six snappers and a grouper usually caught at depths of 250 to 1,000 feet. The prohibition on catching fish around the main Hawaiian Islands applies to commercial and recreational fishers.

The season applies to:

Ulaula koae (Etelis coruscans), also known as onaga or flame snapper. Bright red body with pink belly, red on edges of fins and with filaments on tail. Grows up to 3 feet; found around tropical and subtropical Pacific.

Ulaula (Etelis carbunculus), also known as ehu or ruby snapper. Red body, pink to white belly, deeply forked, tapering tail. Grows up to 3 feet; found across Pacific to Japan and Indian Ocean.

Kalekale (Pristipomoides sieboldii), also known as von Siebold's snapper. Silver-red with longitudinal blue lines along body; yellow cast on dorsal and pectoral fins, deeply forked tail. Grows up to 2 feet; found across Western Pacific.

Opakapaka (Pristipomoides filmentosus), also known as pink snapper or small-scale snapper. Gray-pink or olive-pink, rotund body, pinkish fins, deeply forked tail. Grows up to 3 feet, found across tropical Pacific to East Indian Ocean.

Ukikiki (Pristipomoides zonatus), also known as gindai or Brigham's snapper. Pale red with four wide yellow bands around broad body. Grows up to 20 inches; found around Pacific; also listed as Rooseveltia brighami and Tropidinus zonatus.

Lehi (Aphareus rutilans), also known as reddish snapper. Dull pink wide body, silver belly, yellow tinge on fins. Grows up to 3 feet; found across Pacific, Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

Hapuu (Epinephelus quernus), also known as Seale's grouper. Dark brown to purple-brown, with small pearly white spots across robust, broad body. Grows up to 3 feet; found around Hawaii. Young are known as hapuupuu.