Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 35, Number 5, 1 May 2018 — BLNR advances Mo'omomi fishing rules [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BLNR advances Mo'omomi fishing rules

By Office of Hawaiian Affairs Staff The Board of Land and Natural Resources on April 13 unanimously approved holding public hearings on proposed fishing mles for Mo'omomi on the northwest coast of Moloka'i. Hui Mālama o Mo'omomi's proposed community-based subsistence fishery area (CBFSA) rules would establish new bag limits, size limits, seasonal elosures and gear restrictions for certain types of marine life; would prohibit night diving, SCUBA spearfishing and most commercial fishing; and would establish speeial regulations for water activities in Kawa'aloa Bay. Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chairwoman Colette Machado, who represents Moloka'i and Lāna'i, praised the decision

and thanked Hui Mālama o Mo'omomi, the Ho'olehua Homestead Association, lawai'a pono and others who spent the past two

decades prepanng the proposal for formal mlemaking. "These mles have been informed by 25 years of documented observation and generations of intimate familiarity with the coastline of

Mo'omomi, and seek to formally guide pono harvesting practices for all who fish in the waters of Northwest Moloka'i, including those who may not have such a deep connection to and reliance upon its resources," she said in a statement. The proposed rules are available online at dlnr.hawaii.gov/

dar/mles-and-public-notices/ or in person at the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) offices at 1151 Punchbowl St., Room 330, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ■

Sharing subI sistence practiceswiththe | nextgeneration. ■ Photo: * HuiMālamao Mo'omomi