Coral reef fisheries, Pauly said, are "very important because they are supporting millions of people in the developing world." He said that countries and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization needed to pay attention to these unreported catches to ensure the food security of isolated islands struggling with rising prices for imported food as fuel costs escalate.
The study also found that Hawaii's unreported recreational fisheries for reef fish and deep-dwelling bottom fish was equivalent to the total reported commercial catch.
"Overfishing is often disputed in Hawaii and elsewhere because catch data is underreported or spotty," Friedlander said. The study, conducted by Friedlander and his colleagues from the Oceanic Institute and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's biogeography branch on Oahu, got around this problem by diving into the water and meticulously counting fish.
Teams of divers looked at 55 species of fish found on coral reefs around the main Hawaiian Islands as well as the remote and largely un-fished northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which lie hundreds of miles north and west of Kauai.
Comparing the fish counts at both places, the divers determined that 75% of the species around the main islands, such as Oahu, Maui and the Big Island, were in critical condition or depleted. Another 11% were below desirable levels.
Friedlander said Hawaii would be well served by tightening fishing regulations and setting aside protected no-fishing reserves to conserve coral reefs, helping to ensure that reef fish don't disappear for future generations.
"Probably in Hawaii, more than anywhere else in the United States, people rely on fish to feed themselves and their families," Friedlander said.
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ken.weiss@latimes.com
