Profiles In Fishing

What does the word "sustainable" mean to you?

For something to be sustainable, it has to last beyond my lifetime, and the lifetime of my descendants. As an avid recreational fisherman, I am personally invested in ensuring that our fisheries stay healthy. I enjoy fishing with my husband and look forward to teaching our young son about the intricacies of fly-casting and fly-tying, buying him his first spinning rod and reel, and taking him dunking at our favorite Oahu fishing spot. Sustainability guarantees that those opportunities will be available to him. Our role as users of a shared resource is to keep our impacts minimal - to protect our environment and keep that sacred. Living in Hawaii, fish and fishing are a big part of our lives. Our diets, our community, and our culture revolve around the ocean. Nowhere is sustainability more important than in our country's only island state.

What is your role in the sustainable management of U.S. Fisheries?

My job is to make fishermen feel connected to the management process and keep managers connected to the resource through the eyes (and reels) of the fishermen. As the regional Recreational Fisheries Coordinator, I serve as a liaison between the recreational fishing community and NOAA Fisheries. I provide information to fishermen about current regulations and activities, and then share the fishing community's comments and questions with decision-makers at NOAA. Sustainable management of our fisheries is impossible if regulations and policies are developed in a vacuum, without the benefit of on-the-water experience and buy-in from fishermen. In addition to facilitating communication between fishermen and the government, I also bring recreational fishing interests together to accomplish common goals for our local fisheries. Fishing clubs partner with NOAA scientists to collect data on the use of barbless circle hooks; environmental groups join fishermen in studying coastal habitat. These types of collaboration are vital to achieving sustainability for our Hawaii fisheries.

Why is your role so important?

As a fisherman, how NOAA Fisheries is perceived by our constituents is personal to me. I believe in the role of the government to manage our nation's fisheries. I am proud that I work for NOAA, and proud to be a fisherman. But I've heard time and time again that people have lost faith in the government. Fishermen in particular, feel betrayed by a process that uses the information they provide to limit their access to fishing. At the same time, managers feel hamstrung at having to make decisions with an admittedly incomplete picture. Bridging the divide between these two groups is my job. Most of the time it's in little ways...writing columns in Hawaii Fishing News about Federal programs and activities; developing brochures or outreach materials that respond to direct questions from fishermen; and informing managers about how proposed policies are going to affect recreational fishermen. But all of those little things add up to making our collective vision for sustainability that much closer to reality.