The State of Hawai‘i’s Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) routinely collects survey data to monitor both the catch and effort of nearshore noncommercial fisheries. These data serve as the basis for justifying management actions and regulatory decisions taken by the agency and by the State government, yet the data from island/county-based monitoring datasets have not yet been collated, analyzed, or put to effective use. The HCFRU was asked by DAR to assemble a Statewide Creel Survey Dataset, and then to 1) assess whether the new dataset can provide inputs for length-based stock assessments, 2) analyze the dataset for spatial and temporal patterns in fishing effort, 3) quantify potential bias in survey methods by experimentally deriving fisher detection probabilities of shore-based and drone-based surveys, and 4) review the potential for incorporating emerging technologies that will improve, augment, and evolve creel survey data collection, especially for spearfishing. In so doing, we synthesize the most detailed information to-date about noncommercial shore-based fisheries of Hawai‘i. The unprecedented coverage of DAR’s dataset reveals the value of their survey efforts over the last decade to address fishery management needs. We also highlight areas that could be improved to make these efforts a more effective tool for future decision-making processes in resource management and conservation in Hawai'i.
