This project will coordinate, administer and conduct the hawaii marine RECREATIONAL fishing survey

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded $285,000 through the Fisheries Data Program (CFDA 11.437) to the State of Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources (DLNR) to coordinate, administer, and conduct the Hawaii Marine Recreational Fishing Survey. Under this cooperative agreement, effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, DLNR will collect non-commercial fishing data on Oahu through onsite interviews with private and rental boat fishers as well as shore fishers. The collected data will be used to generate fishing catch and effort estimates that support Hawaii's resource management objectives and will be made publicly available to stakeholders and the broader fisheries management community.

This award reflects NOAA's Fisheries Data Program priorities of enhancing state-level data collection and analysis systems to support coastwide and insular area fisheries management needs. The recreational fishing information collected through this initiative will provide critical catch and effort data on Hawaii's marine resources, contributing to evidence-based fisheries management decisions and sustainable resource stewardship in the Hawaiian islands.

Non-commercial (RECREATIONAL) fishing information on oahu will be collected via onsite interviews with private/rental boat and shore fishers then used in the calculation of fishing catch and effort estimates. The data and resulting estimates are intended to support the states resource management objectives and will also be publicly available.