Fishermen on Maui are reminding others to follow fishing rules after they believe someone illegally caught a manini. A picture of a manini caught on a three-prong spear sparked an online debate because some believe it was too small to be taken.
MAUI, Hawai'i (Island News) -- A picture of a manini caught on a three-prong spear sparked an online debate because some believe it was too small to be take.
"I mean you can tell by the three prongs, it's kinda small. If it ain't legal, it ain't legal," fisherman Kawika Kinimaka shared when asked for his thoughts on the photo.
Some argued the fish is smaller than six inches, the legal threshold for fishing manini. The rule recently changed from five inches to six inches, because research suggests greater sized manini have better reproduction rates.
Ka'apuni Aiwohi, another fisherman who is also a part of a community group under the Department of Land and Natural Resources that advocates for stricter fishing laws, said the requirement protects the manini population from dwindling down.
"We need to know what the regulations are so we can help protect this species because as much as we take, we want to give back," Aiwohi said.
Fishing violations can lead to fines ranging from $100 to $10,000 and up to a year behind bars.
"As fun as we like to make it (fishing), there is a kuleana that comes with it," Aiwohi added. "Please do your research, look it up online, contact DLNR. They got good guys over there who'd love to help everyone out, good braddahs."
DLNR communications personnel responded to the picture by saying, "difficult to determine from a photo. We would need something more verifiable to determine potential wrongdoing."
You can report violations to DLNR by calling 808-643-3567 or using the DLNRTip app.
