Hawai'i's longline bigeye tuna industry is on course to hit its catch quota for the year in mid-November.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is a federal advisory body responsible for protecting fisheries off Hawai'i.

The council's scientific committee recommended Wednesday that the council warn the industry that the fishery may have to close if the quota is hit.

International fishery management quotas limit the Hawai'i longline fleet bigeye catch to 3,763 metric tons — 8.2 million pounds — of bigeye tuna per year in the Western Pacific Ocean.

Vessels over 24 meters in length, or about 80 feet, may catch up to 500 metric tons — about 1.1 million pounds — of bigeye in the Eastern Pacific.