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Maui — Regulated Fishing Areas
Molokini Shoal Marine Life Conservation District
Location: Offshore of Molokini Shoal, about three miles from the southwestern coast of Maui.
- Subzone A — Waters and submerged lands within the crater, bounded seaward by a straight line from the end of the submerged ridge extending off Lalilali Point to Pahe’e O Lono Point.
- Subzone B — Waters and submerged lands 100 yards seaward of Molokini Shoal and Subzone A.
Permitted
- Take or possess finfish by trolling in Subzone B only.
- With a permit, engage in activities otherwise prohibited for scientific, propagation, or other purposes.
- With a permit, engage in commercial activities (excluding the taking of marine life).
Prohibited
- Take marine life except as indicated in permitted activities above.
- Take or alter any sand, coral, or other geological feature or specimen; or possess in the water any device used for taking or altering geological features.
- Feed or deliberately introduce any food material, substance, or attractant directly to or in the vicinity of any aquatic organism by any means or for any purpose (except for trolling in Subzone B).
- Engage in commercial activity involving ocean users getting in or on the water (swimming, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, paddling, etc.) except as provided for by a permit.
- Anchor boats when a day use mooring system is established by the Department.
Honolua-Mokulē’ia Bay Marine Life Conservation District
Location: Along the northwestern coast of Maui, bounded seaward by a line from ‘Alaelae Point to Kalaepiha Point, then to the point at the northwestern corner of Honolua Bay.
Permitted
- Possess aboard any boat or watercraft any legal fishing gear and fish or other aquatic life taken outside of the District.
- Possess in the water any knife, shark billy, bang stick, powerhead, or carbon dioxide injector.
- With a permit: bag and remove akule netted outside of the District, provided the net is moved only over the sandy bottom areas of the District; also engage in activities otherwise prohibited for scientific, propagation, or other purposes.
Prohibited
- Fish for, take, or injure any marine life (including eggs), or possess in the water any device used for taking marine life, except as indicated in permitted activities above.
- Take or alter any sand, coral, or other geological feature or specimen; or possess in the water any device used for taking or altering geological features.
Kahului Harbor
Location: Primary port on the northern coast of Maui. The Fisheries Management Area is bounded seaward by a line between the seaward edges of the breakwaters. Permitted activities shall not be construed as allowing activities within any portion of the harbor otherwise prohibited by laws or rules of the Department of Transportation.
Permitted
- Use a landing net with stretched mesh of 2 inches or greater to secure hooked or otherwise detained marine life.
- Use a hand net while on shore to take shrimp or other marine life, provided the diameter of the net is not more than 8 inches and the handle is not more than 14 inches long.
Prohibited
- Use any net, except as indicated in permitted activities above.
- Take or possess a total of more than 50 marine life per person per day.
- Snag any marine life.
- Use more than two poles with one line and up to two hooks per pole (each hook having only one point); exception: double or treble hooks are allowed with lures.
- Take, attempt to take, or possess any marine life from the area, or use any fishing gear in the area that may otherwise be prohibited.
Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area
Location: Off north Kā’anapali. Northern boundary is a straight line extending 1,292 yards west from Honokōwai Beach Park; southern boundary is a straight line extending 335 yards west from Hanaka’ō’ō Beach; seaward boundary is a straight line connecting the seaward endpoints of the northern and southern boundaries.
Permitted
- Fish for, injure, kill, possess, or remove any finfish or invertebrate, except prohibited species indicated below.
- Use bait or other attractants while fishing for permitted marine life.
Prohibited
- Injure, kill, possess, or remove any rudderfish (nenue), parrotfish (uhu), or surgeonfish.
- Injure, kill, possess, or remove any sea urchin.
- Feed or deliberately introduce any attractant, directly to or in the vicinity of any marine life, except while fishing for permitted marine life.
Kīpahulu Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA)
Location: Southeast coast of Maui, from Kālepa Gulch in the west to Pua’alu’u Gulch in the east, from the shoreline out to approximately 60 meters depth. Contains two sub-zones. GPS coordinates can be found on the DAR website (administrative rules page, Part II, Chapter 60.11).
Sub-Zones
| Sub-Zone | Boundaries |
|---|---|
| ‘Opihi Rest Area | From Oheo Gulch to Ka’ū Bay |
| Kukui Bay Sanctuary | From Kukui Bay interior to Submarine Point to Puhilele Point |
Permitted
- With a permit, take akule while surround net fishing with SCUBA gear.
- With a permit, take introduced or invasive species of marine life.
- Transit through the area with prohibited gear or restricted species, provided no gear is in the water.
Prohibited
- Take or possess:
- More than 10 finfish per person per day (akule and introduced or invasive fish not included)
- Any akule for commercial purposes
- More than 1 ‘ōmilu per person per day
- More than 2 kala per person per day
- Any kole less than 5 inches in length
- Any moi from May–September; or during open season less than 11 inches or more than 18 inches long
- More than 40 ‘opihi of any species, or with a shell diameter of less than 1¼ inches or more than 2 inches
- Any ‘opihi within the ‘Opihi Rest Area, or while diving
- Any ula or ula pāpapa from May–September; or more than a combined total of 2 of both species per person per day
- More than 2 spotted reef crabs per person per day
- Any native limu species with holdfast (“roots”) attached
- Engage in surround net fishing, except for akule or ta’ape.
- Take any marine life with a bag net.
- Possess a throw net with a stretched mesh less than 3 inches.
- Use more than two fishing poles; each pole may have only one line, each line no more than two hooks, and each hook only one point. Double or treble hooks allowed on lures.
- Take any marine life using SCUBA gear, or possess both SCUBA gear and marine life or fishing gear at the same time.
- Take or possess any marine life or fishing gear while diving from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.
- Take or possess any marine life within the Kukui Bay Sanctuary.
Scientific Names of Regulated Species
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|
| Kō’ele | Cellana talcosa |
| Makaiauli | C. exarata |
| Spotted reef crab | Carpilius maculatus |
| Pipipi | Theodoxus neglectus, Nerita picea |
| Ta’ape | Lutjanus kasmira |
Scientific names of native limu can be found in the table appended to the administrative rule.