What Fish Are Illegal to Catch in Hawaii: Limits and Penalties

The fish illegal to catch in Hawaii fall into two groups: species you can never take, and species you can take only within strict size, bag, or season limits. All sharks, all rays, Hawaiian monk seals, and every sea turtle species in Hawaiian waters are fully protected under state or federal law. Dozens of other popular catches, from moi to spiny lobster, are legal only at certain sizes, in certain numbers, or outside a closed season. The rules apply to residents and visitors equally.

Species You Can Never Catch

Some marine animals are off-limits year-round, with no size that makes them legal and no license that unlocks them. Catching, harming, or even possessing any of these is a violation.

Sharks

Since January 1, 2022, it has been illegal to knowingly capture, entangle, or kill any shark species in Hawaii state marine waters. The ban covers every shark found in those waters and has no recreational or commercial exceptions.¹

Rays

Rays are also protected. The giant manta ray is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.²

Hawaiian Monk Seals and Sea Turtles

Hawaiian monk seals are endangered and protected under both the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. All sea turtle species in Hawaiian waters, including green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, and olive ridley turtles, are protected as either threatened or endangered under federal law.² Touching, harassing, or feeding these animals is illegal, not only catching them.

Coral and Live Rock

Taking, breaking, or damaging stony coral, including reef and mushroom coral, is illegal statewide. The same rule covers live rock, sand, dead coral, and coral rubble. The only exception is a Special Activity Permit issued by the state for scientific, educational, or management purposes.³ A piece of coral picked up from the beach counts.

Species Legal Only Within Limits

Plenty of popular catches are legal in Hawaii, but only at the right size, in the right numbers, and outside the closed season. Keeping one that misses on any of those counts is just as illegal as targeting a protected species. The Division of Aquatic Resources updates these rules periodically, so confirm the current regulations before you fish.

Commonly Caught Fish

‘Aholehole must be at least five inches long to keep.⁴ Moi (Pacific threadfin) have an 11-inch minimum size, a daily bag limit of 15, and a closed season from June through August when taking them is completely prohibited. Ulua and pāpio (jacks) have a 10-inch minimum recreational size and a 16-inch minimum for commercial sale. ‘Ama’ama (striped mullet) have an 11-inch minimum size and a closed season from December through March.⁵ ‘Ahi (yellowfin and bigeye tuna) must weigh at least three pounds to be sold commercially. Dozens of other species carry their own rules.

The Deep 7 Bottomfish

Seven deep-water bottomfish face extra restrictions because they are particularly vulnerable to overfishing. The Deep 7 are onaga, ehu, kalekale, ōpakapaka, gindai, hāpu’u, and lehi. Recreational fishers face a combined daily bag limit of five Deep 7 fish total, and the state announces a closed season each year during which taking or possessing any of these species is illegal except by permit.⁶ Any vessel used to catch or possess Deep 7 fish, recreationally or commercially, must be registered with the Division of Aquatic Resources and display an identification number. Registration is free.⁷

Lobster, Crab, and Other Shellfish

Shellfish rules catch out a lot of people who assume the limits only apply to fish. Spiny lobster have a closed season from May through August, a minimum carapace length of 3¼ inches, and females cannot be taken at all. Slipper lobster share the same closed season with a minimum tail width of 2¾ inches. Kona crab are closed May through September with a minimum carapace length of four inches. Spearing any of these species is prohibited.⁸

Where You Fish Can Make a Legal Catch Illegal

Hawaii has set aside protected zones where fishing is limited or banned regardless of what you’re targeting. Marine Life Conservation Districts are the strictest. At Hanauma Bay on Oahu, for example, taking any marine life is prohibited, and you cannot even possess fishing gear in the water.⁹ Other MLCDs around the state have varying rules.

Fish Replenishment Areas along the west coast of the Big Island restrict certain activities, most notably aquarium fish collection and some netting methods. Lay net fishing is banned in several FRAs, and collecting any aquatic life for aquarium purposes within these zones is illegal.¹⁰ Posted signs identify restricted zones, but they aren’t always visible from the water, so check a map first.

Methods That Make Any Catch Illegal

Using a banned method makes everything you catch illegal, no matter the species. Fishing with explosives, electrofishing devices, or poisonous substances is a class C felony. The statute covers a wide range of toxic materials, including bleach, petroleum-based substances, and plant-derived fish poisons like rotenone.¹¹

Firearms cannot be used to take any fish, crustacean, mollusk, turtle, or marine mammal. The one narrow exception allows a firearm on tuna or billfish that have already been gaffed.⁶ Spearfishing while using scuba gear is banned along the entire west coast of the Big Island within the West Hawaii Regional Fishery Management Area, and possessing both scuba equipment and a spear in the water there is enough for a citation.¹⁰

Lay nets are legal but heavily regulated. You cannot leave a net unattended for any amount of time, you must inspect the entire net within two hours of setting it, and you must release any protected or unwanted species. A single set cannot exceed four hours, and the same person cannot set another net within 24 hours.¹²

What a Violation Costs

Most fishing violations, such as keeping an undersized fish or exceeding a bag limit, are petty misdemeanors. Minimum fines run $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third or later violation. On top of the base fine, the court can add a per-specimen fine of up to $100 per fish for a first offense (or the retail market value, whichever is higher), scaling up to $500 per fish for repeat offenders.¹³

Shark fishing carries stiffer penalties classified as a misdemeanor: $500 for a first offense, $2,000 for a second, and $10,000 for a third or later violation.¹⁴

The harshest penalties are reserved for explosives, electrofishing devices, and poison. That is a class C felony, and a first offense for depositing poisonous substances carries a mandatory minimum of 30 days in prison with no possibility of parole.¹³ Across every violation type, the court can also seize fishing gear and vessels, order community service that benefits the damaged resource, restrict a violator’s future fishing, and ban them from specific waters. Enforcement falls to the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, which patrols harbors, coastal areas, and streams statewide.

1
Division of Aquatic Resources. Shark Fishing Ban Goes Into Effect January 1
2
NOAA Fisheries. Marine Protected Species of the Hawaiian Islands
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Department of Land and Natural Resources. Coral Species Frequently Asked Questions
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Legal Information Institute. Hawaii Code R 13-95-4 – Aholehole
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Division of Aquatic Resources. Marine Fishes and Other Vertebrates
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Department of Land and Natural Resources. Hawaii Fishing Regulations
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Division of Aquatic Resources. Bottomfish Fishing Vessel Registration
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Division of Aquatic Resources. Marine Invertebrates and Limu
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eRegulations. Hawaii Fishing Regulations
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Division of Aquatic Resources. West Hawaii Regional Fishery Management Area
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Justia. Hawaii Code 188-23 – Possession or Use of Explosives, Electrofishing Devices, and Poisonous Substances in State Waters Prohibited
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Department of Land and Natural Resources. Lay Net Permit Frequently Asked Questions
13
Justia. Hawaii Code 188-70 – Penalties
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Justia. Hawaii Code 188-40.8 – Sharks Prohibitions Exceptions Penalties and Fines