4 Big Island men caught in spiny situation on opening day of lobster fishing season

Four Big Island men are in a spiny situation after state conservation enforcement officers discovered female lobsters, some of which were carrying eggs, during an inspection of their vessel Sunday, the opening day of Hawai‘i’s lobster fishing season.

Officers with the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement cited the men for several violations of the state code relating to ula, or spiny lobsters.

Hawai‘i law makes it illegal to possess female lobsters, and there are separate charges for keeping females carrying eggs.

The divers and citations are:

46-year-old Jacob Lindsay of Kailua-Kona:

• 2 counts of violating the state’s ula (spiny lobster) code specific to females with eggs.
• 4 counts of violating the state’s ula (spiny lobster) code specific to females.

45-year-old Taylor Thronas of Waimea:

• 4 counts of violating the state’s ula (spiny lobster) code specific to females.

37-year-old Roger Hancock of Waimea:

• 4 counts of violating the state’s ula (spiny lobster) code specific to females.

35-year-old William Merle of Waikōloa:

• 1 count of violating the state’s ula (spiny lobster) code specific to females with eggs.
• 4 counts of violating the state’s ula (spiny lobster) code specific to females.

All four are scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 1 in South Kohala District Court.

Officers were conducting inspections Sunday at the Kawaihae and Puakō Small Boat Harbors when they checked the men’s vessel Law and Disorder III upon return to its slip at Kawaihae.

The Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement said the divers came in with a total of 40 spiny lobsters — 16 were females, 3 were with eggs.

All the female lobsters were alive at the time of confiscation and returned to the ocean without incident.