Maximum penalties lobbied against fisherman seen illegally longline fishing in waters off Kona Coast

Konane Zager, owner of the vessel Waiʻaka, will be fined the maximum penalty of slightly more than $10,000 for violating Hawaiʻi longline fishing laws in May 2025.

His commercial marine license will also be revoked for 1 year.

Hawaiʻi Board of Land and Natural Resources unanimously approved Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources recommendations of lobbying the maximum penalties for Zager’s violation.

Division of Aquatic Resources — following Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement investigation — recommended the state Land Board impose the maximum allowable fines of $10,051.90 total, including:

• $1,000 for first-offense violation of longline fishing within state waters.
• $3,000 ($1,000 per ahi taken/injured).
• $6,051.90 in Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources administrative costs for investigation and enforcement.

The enforcement action stems from a May 7, 2025, incident off Hawai‘i Island’s Kona Coast.

Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers on patrol observed and documented Zager deploy longline fishing gear extending 3.69 nautical miles — more than three times the legal limit — from his vessel within Hawai‘i state waters where longline fishing is prohibited.

Officers — while retrieving Zager’s gear — documented the take of three yellowfin tuna, two of which were later sold to a local fish buyer.

The third was found alive and released back into the ocean.

Zager admitted deploying the gear and acknowledged knowing it exceeded the 1-nautical-mile limit.

The state Land Board also barred Zager from reapplying for a new commercial marine license until the revocation period has expired.

Division of Aquatic Resources also will transmit all of its investigative materials to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement for additional investigation of potential federal law violations.

“This action sends a clear message that illegal longline fishing in Hawai‘i’s state waters will not be tolerated,” said Acting Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Acting Chairperson Ryan Kanakaʻole in a release about the violation and fines. “Our fisheries laws exist to protect Hawai‘i’s marine resources and ensure that fishing practices are conducted responsibly and sustainably.”

The total administrative fine and costs will be deposited into the Commercial Fisheries Special Fund, which supports programs and activities related to the management and conservation of Hawai‘i’s aquatic resources used for commercial purposes.

“The board’s decision reflects the seriousness of this violation and the commitment of our enforcement and resource management teams to uphold these protections,” said Division of Aquatic Resources Administrator Brian Neilson in the state release.