September 15, 2026 — The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council concluded its three-day meeting Thursday.
For the American Samoa longline fishery, the SSC said if the Council decides to change existing turtle-related gear requirements, the Council should ask the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) to use observer data to evaluate potential effects on turtle interactions and on target and nontarget catch, particularly silky and oceanic whitetip sharks.
Members highlighted that environmental changes and other basin-wide factors can also influence turtle interaction rates, complicating comparisons of fishery performance before and after gear regulations were implemented.