(BIVN) – A fishing vessel was seized by law enforcement officers on Wednesday for alleged longline fishing operations off Kona.

It is illegal to longline fish in state waters within the state Territorial Sea, which extends up to 12 nautical miles from shore and encompasses 3,069 square miles of water.

After receiving multiple complaints about longline fishing occurring off Kona, a DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) Hawai‘i Branch Marine Unit boarded the vessel, Wai‘aka, Wednesday morning.

Officers say the vessel was observed about seven miles offshore, fishing with approximately four miles of line deployed.

Photo courtesy Hawaiʻi DLNR

According to the DLNR: 

52-year-old Konane Zager of Kona was cited for violating HRS Section 189-2.5, relating to Long Line Fishing Prohibition. The criminal penalty for violating this section is a petty misdemeanor.

Three ahi were caught and a live one was released. The other two weighed in at 95 pounds and 103 pounds and had an estimated market value of $1251.

Zager is scheduled to appear in Kona District Court on June 19, 2025.