Fisherman using illegal lay gill nets are capturing and killing a large portion of coral reef fish on the shores of Hawaii.

From the Honolulu Advertiser:

The steep decline of reef fish populations in recent years has called attention to the damaging effects of lay-netting.

A recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report showed that of 55 reef fish species studied in the main Hawaiian Islands, 42 percent were in critical condition and 33 percent were depleted.

The study compared fish populations around the main Hawaiian Islands with those around the relatively unfished Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which was used as a baseline.

Populations of important native food fishes in the main Hawaiian Islands, such as moi, kumu, ulua and ‘o’io, have declined 75 percent or more over the past century, according to the International Coral Reef Initiative, organizers of the International Year of the Reef.

Overfishing is one of the main causes behind the declining fish populations, said Alan Friedlander, one of the NOAA study’s lead authors. Other factors contributing to a decline are growing human populations and coastal development, which have disrupted reef habitats, he said.

Illegal fishing is a $16.5 Billion market.