Vital Sign Monitoring: Fish Harvest

Reenactment of a traditional Hawaiian group fishing method called a hukilau performed at Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park

Description & Rational
In the Pacific Island National Parks, a wide variety of coral reef fish, invertebrates and algae are harvested annually in either traditional, artisanal, recreational or subsistence fisheries. The potential impact of a seemingly small but persistent level of daily fishing activity can be surprisingly substantial. Fishing has well documented and significant impacts on reef ecosystem structure and function, the condition of fish populations, and the economies of local islands. Effects of fishing can include shifts in fish size, abundance, age structure, and species composition, which indirectly effects habitat modification through physical damage. Fishing is recognized as the principal threat to Pacific coral reefs and other marine ecosystems worldwide. In this respect, it is highly probable that all of the Pacific Island parks (except ALKA) can be categorized as “impaired” to “seriously impaired”. It should be noted that most fisheries harvest information needed for PACN parks is not currently being collected by any other state, territory or federal agency, thus highlighting the need for the parks to gather their own data.

Brief Monitoring Questions & Objectives
Question: What are annual trends in the quantity, composition, and size of fish and invertebrates extracted from park waters?
Objectives: To assess fishing effort by gear type, catch per unit effort, and composition and size of species harvested. Due to the time and expense required to gather such data for subsistence fisheries, the time frame for this Vital Sign will be to conduct a detailed assessment at multi-year intervals (e.g., once every 5 years), supported by a sub-sampling of key fishery components in the intervening years.

A fisherman’s catch at the National Park of American Samoa. Is this sustainable?

Vital Sign Monitoring Status & Trends
The Fish Harvest monitoring protocol is in development and is scheduled for peer review in January 2011.

Products and Related Links:

• Protocol Documents (in development)

Education and Outreach:

• Fish Harvest Monitoring Movie – Coming Soon!
• Fish Harvest Monitoring Photo Gallery - Coming Soon!

Contact Information
Project Manager
Larry Basch, Ph.D. Marine Ecologist
Pacific Island Network, I&M Program
National Park Service
300 Ala Moana Blvd. Room 6-226,
Honolulu, HI 96850
Larry_Basch <at> nps.gov