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In 2007, due to growing concerns of declines in nearshore fisheries in
Hawai‘i, a ban on gillnets was implemented in designated areas around the
island of O‘ahu in the main Hawaiian Islands. Utilizing a 17 year
time-series of juvenile fish abundance beginning prior to the
implementation of the gillnet ban, we examined the effects of the ban on
the abundance of juveniles of soft-bottom associated fish species. Using a
Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) sampling design, we compared the
abundance of targeted fishery species in a bay where gillnet fishing was
banned (Kailua, O‘ahu), and an adjacent bay where fishing is still
permitted (Waimānalo, O‘ahu). Our results show that when multiple juvenile
fish species were combined, abundance declined over time in both
locations, but the pattern varied for each of the four species groups
examined. Bonefishes were the only species group with a significant BACI
effect, with higher abundance in Kailua in the period after the gillnet
ban. This study addressed a need for scientific assessment of a fisheries
regulation that is rarely possible due to lack of quality data before
enactment of such restrictions. Thus, we developed a baseline status of
juveniles of an important fishery species, and found effects of a fishery
management regulation in Hawai‘i.
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