Hawaii Longline Requirements
Hawaii Longline Limited Entry Permit
A valid Hawaii longline limited entry permit (Hawaii longline permit) is required for anyone:
- Using longline gear to fish for pelagic species within the EEZ around Hawaii.
- Landing or transshipping longline catch in Hawaii or within the EEZ around Hawaii.
The Hawaii longline permit may be used to fish with longline gear and land longline catch in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Pacific Remote Island Areas. It may be used to fish outside the EEZ around American Samoa or land fish in American Samoa caught outside the EEZ around American Samoa, but may not be used to fish within the EEZ around American Samoa.
The Hawaii longline fishery is a limited entry fishery with a maximum of 164 permits. Because it is a limited entry fishery, no new permits can be issued, but permits are renewable and freely transferable. Permits are renewed annually and expire on March 3 of each year. Renewals and transfers of permits are processed by PIRO.
High Seas Fishing Compliance Act Permit
This permit is required for any U.S. fishing vessel fishing outside the EEZ in international waters. Regulations for this permit requirement can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 50, Part 300.
Further online information and an application form
Marine Mammal Authorization Program (MMAP) Certificate
PIRO issues the MMAP certificate to each vessel registered to a Hawaii longline permit because the fishery is classified as a Category I fishery under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Each fishing vessel in a Category I fishery must be registered with an MMAP, and a valid certificate must be on-board the vessel when fishing. PIRO issues the MMAP certificate to each renewing permit holder or permit holder transferee. The MMAP certificate is renewed annually. Permit holders do not have to apply for the MMAP certificate.
Protected Species Workshop Certificate
Longline vessel owners and operators must attend and be certified for completion of a workshop conducted by NMFS on interaction mitigation techniques for sea turtles, seabirds and other protected species. For more information, go to the protected species workshop pages.
VMS Installation Information
Contact the NOAA Office for Law Enforcement
Shallow-set Certificates
Hawaii longline vessel operators setting longline gear shallow to target swordfish must have current shallow-set certificates and attach a certificate to the logsheet for each shallow set. A maximum of 2,120 shallow-set certificates is issued fishery-wide each year. The certificates are valid only for the calendar year printed on the certificate, and only when the shallow-set fishery is open. Hawaii longline permit holders who need shallow-set certificates for the next calendar year must notify PIRO of their interest by November 1 of the current year. Each permit holder meeting the November 1 deadline receives one share for each Hawaii longline permit they hold. The 2,120 certificates are divided by the total number of shares and rounded down to the nearest whole number. The resulting number is the number of certificates issued to each share. Shallow-set certificates are freely transferable to another Hawaii longline permit holder, without any processing by PIRO.
Other Useful Information
Vessel owners or operators fishing with the Hawaii longline permit are required to:
- Notify the NMFS Observer Program 72 hours before departure on a trip and declare whether trip type is deep-set (targeting tunas) or shallow-set (targeting swordfish).
- Carry a NMFS observer if directed to do so by NMFS.
- Maintain and submit the Western Pacific longline logbook to NMFS within 72 hours of returning to port.
- Attach a valid Shallow-set Certificate to the logsheet page for each shallow-set made.
- Carry an operational VMS unit supplied and installed by the NOAA Office for Law Enforcement.
- Carry a valid Protected Species Workshop certificate on board the vessel.
- Carry a valid MMAP certificate on board the vessel.
- Carry a valid Hawaii longline permit on board the vessel.
- Carry a valid High Seas Fishing Compliance Act permit on board the vessel if fishing in international waters.
- Handle and release protected species, marine mammals, and seabirds as directed by PIRO.
- Comply with seabird and turtle bycatch mitigation requirements.
Regulations governing this fishery can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 50, Part 665, Subpart C. A summary of regulations for the Hawaii longline fishery useful to vessel operators is available in PDF format here.
For more information, please contact the Pacific Islands Regional Office at (808) 944-2200 and ask for the Permits Program.
Permit Application
An application form to apply for renewals or transfers is available in fillable PDF format. A non-refundable application processing fee is required with permit applications. The amount is printed on the application form.
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