Annual catch limits (ACLs) and Annual Catch Targets (ACTs) are tools to prevent overfishing in commercial and recreational fisheries. NOAA Fisheries administers ACLs and ACTs for the Pelagic, Hawai‘i, American Samoa, Guam, Mariana Archipelago, and Pacific Remote Island Areas fisheries.
Pelagic
Fishery | Species¹ | 2024 Annual Limit (metric tons) | 2024 Estimated Catch
(metric tons) | % of Limit Caught | 2024 Estimated Catch Total Through | Status |
| Western and Central Pacific Longline | Pacific Bigeye Tuna | 3,554² | 1,732 | 49% | April 5, 2024 | Open |
| Eastern Pacific Longline | Pacific Bigeye Tuna | 750 (for vessels > 24 m) | 7 | 1% | March 8, 2024 | Open |
¹ NOAA Fisheries has not specified ACLs for most pelagic species because they are subject to international fishing agreements or have life cycles of less than a year.
2 In December 2023, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission adopted CMM 2023-01 which revised the catch limit for the United States to 6,554 mt for 2024-2026, while also removing the authority to attribute longline catch to the U.S. Participating Territories through specified fishing agreement. NOAA Fisheries is working through its domestic processes to implement this revision.
Hawai‘i
| Fishery | Species | 2022-23 Annual Limit (lb) | 2022-23 Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|
| Bottomfish1 | Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish (Lehi, Ehu, Onaga, Opakapaka, Kalekale, Gindae, Hapuʻupuʻu) | 492,000 | 75,681 | 15.4% | Open |
| Precious Coral2 | Black Coral -
Auau Channel | 5,512 | - | - | Open |
Pink and Red Coral -
180 Fathom Bank | 489 | - | - | Open |
Pink and Red Coral -
Brooks Bank | 979 | - | - | Open |
Pink and Red Coral -
Kaena Point Bed | 148 | - | - | Open |
Pink and Red Coral -
Keahole Bed | 148 | - | - | Open |
Pink and Red Coral -
Makapuʻu Bed | 2,205 | - | - | Open |
Bamboo Coral -
180 Fathom Bank | 123 | - | - | Open |
Bamboo Coral -
Brooks Bank | 245 | - | - | Open |
Bamboo Coral -
Kaena Point | 37 | - | - | Open |
Bamboo Coral -
Keahole Bed | 37 | - | - | Open |
Bamboo Coral -
Makapuʻu Bed | 551 | - | - | Open |
Precious Corals -
Hawai‘i Exploratory Area | 2,205 | - | - | Open |
¹ The fishing year for the deep 7 bottomfish fishery began September 1, 2023 and ends August 31, 2024. Catch includes data for September 1, 2023–December 31, 2023.
² The fishing year for precious corals began July 1, 2023 and ends June 30, 2024.
| Fishery | Species | 2022 Annual Limit (lb) | 2023 Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|
| Bottomfish3 | Gray Jobfish (Uku) | 295,419 ACL
291,010 ACT | 45,002 - | 15.2% 15.5% | Open |
| Crustacean | Deepwater Shrimp | 250,773 ACL | - | - | Open |
| Kona Crab4 | 30,802 lb ACL 25,491 lb ACT | 4,689 - | 15.2% 18.4% | Open |
3 Catch limits for uku apply to commercial and non-commercial catch. This update only reflects commercial catch for this time period (January 1–December 31, 2023) and will be updated as additional information becomes available.
4 Kona crab catch includes data for January 1–December 31, 2023.
Note: NOAA Fisheries has not specified ACLs for stocks subject to federal fishing moratoria or prohibitions. These include all species of gold coral, all species of deepwater precious coral at Wespac Bed in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and the three Hawai‘i seamount groundfish: pelagic armorhead, alfonsin and raft fish. The current prohibition on fishing for these species serves as a functional equivalent of an ACL of zero.
American Samoa
| Fishery | Species | 2022 Annual Limit (lb) | Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|
| Bottomfish1 | Bottomfish multi-species stock complex | 5,000 | 172 | 3.4% | Open |
1American Samoa bottomfish catch includes data for January 1–June 30, 2022.
Guam
| Fishery | Species | 2022 Annual Limit (lb) | Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|
| Bottomfish1 | Bottomfish multi-species stock complex | 31,000 | 22,231 | 71.7% | Open |
1Guam bottomfish catch includes data for January 1–September 30, 2022.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
| Fishery | Species | 2022 Annual Limit (lb) | Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|
| Bottomfish | Bottomfish multi-species stock complex | 84,000 lb ACL 78,000 lb ACT | - | - | Open |
Pacific Remote Island Areas
| Fishery | Species | Annual Limit (lb) | Estimated Catch (lb) | % of Limit Caught | Status |
|---|
| No catch limits | - | - | - | - | - |
Note: NOAA Fisheries has not specified ACLs for any bottomfish crustacean, precious coral, or coral reef ecosystem species in the Pacific Remote Island Areas because commercial fishing is prohibited out to 50 nautical miles by Presidential Proclamation 8336 which established the Pacific Remote Island Marine National Monument (74 FR 1565, January 12, 2009).
More Information
An oceanic whitetip shark swims near the surface of the water. Photo courtesy of John Carlson.
A bidder checks the quality of tuna at the Honolulu Fish Auction. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette off Maui in 2004. Homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii, NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette is a multipurpose oceanographic research vessel that conducts fisheries assessments, physical and chemical oceanography research, marine mammal and marine debris surveys. The ship operates throughout the central and western Pacific Ocean. Credit: NOAA/Ray Boland.
Tournament fishing in the Pacific Islands region occurs year-round, drawing in local participants and visitors (non-residents) to the state. The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected in-person fishing activities and much of the fishing and seafood industry. Credit: NOAA Fisheries