Recreational fisheries are an extremely important part of our mission at the Pacific Islands Regional Office. NOAA Fisheries Service estimates that there are currently almost 250,000 recreational saltwater fishers in Hawaii alone, with an additional 160,000 fishers visiting from out-of-state. Servicing and collecting information from these constituents is vital to understanding the health and well-being of our marine ecosystems.

In the Pacific Islands, there is a strong conservation ethic shared by the fishing community. Fishing clubs and tackle shops work cooperatively to educate fishers about marine resource issues and provide services to the community at large. NOAA Fisheries Service supports these efforts through ongoing projects that include educating fishers on marine mammal protection and gear alternatives, marine debris removal (including beach clean-ups), and the collection of catch data that can be used to estimate the health of the fishery. We have also just begun an effort to enhance collaboration across all recreational fisheries interests in Hawaii through a statewide planning team. Our hope is that the Hawaii Action Team will serve as a mechanism for addressing our common strategic goals for recreational fishing now and into the future.