Bottomfish season is here!

“Grab some bait and a fishing pole and ... let’s go fishing today ...”

HONOLULU—State marine waters opened to the new fishing year for bottomfish on Wednesday, September 1.

The fishing year was closed earlier this year on April 20 and remained closed until August 31. Seven bottomfish species were affected by this closure: onaga, ehu, opakapaka, kalekale, gindai, lehi, and the hapuupuu.

The proposed total allowable catch (TAC) for the new fishing year is 254,050 pounds of Deep 7 bottomfish. The TAC is monitored through commercial landings. The bottomfish fishery will close when the 2010-2011 commercial landings reach the TAC limit, or on August 31, 2011 when the fishing year ends, whichever comes first.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) also reminds bottomfish fishers that the State’s twelve bottomfish restricted fishing areas will continue to remain closed to bottomfish fishing.

Fishers are advised to consult the Department’s website for the locations of the twelve restricted fishing areas.

All other existing State rules for bottomfish and fishing for bottomfish remain applicable.

For more information, visit http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar.