Saving Seafood

Council Actions

USITC to Host Virtual Roundtable on Impacts of Imports and Illegal Fishing

September 25, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Dear fishermen, seafood dealers, processors, and other fishing industry stakeholders,

This message is about an important discussion you may want to participate in. A flyer for the event is available here.

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT: The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) will host a virtual roundtable to gather input from New England and Mid-Atlantic fishing industry stakeholders on two topics: (1) the impacts of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing on the U.S. fishing industry; and (2) the impacts of seafood imports on U.S. products and markets.

WHEN WILL THIS HAPPEN: The roundtable is being held alongside the New England Fishery Management Council’s next meeting. The roundtable itself will take place on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. or shortly following the close of Council business that day.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: All stakeholders are encouraged to join the discussion. Anyone who fishes for, sells, or processes seafood in New England or the Mid-Atlantic region may be able to provide helpful information to the USITC as it works to brief Congress on IUU fishing and impacts of imports on U.S. fisheries.

HOW DO I JOIN THE ROUNDTABLE:  To participate:

  • Visit this link and select “join from your browser.” You will be asked to provide your full name and an email address.
  • If you are accessing the videoconference via a Webex application, copy and paste 199 705 4058 into the box for the meeting number/access code and Y7Byi8h6Hu2 for the password.
  • Also, if you think you may join the roundtable discussion, email the USITC’s Daniel Matthews at daniel.matthews@usitc.gov to let him know you’re interested.

WHAT DOES THE USITC WANT TO KNOW FROM ME: Anything related to impacts on U.S. fishermen from seafood imports or illegal fishing! Here are some examples of questions the commission is interested in.

  • Competition with Imports: How is the squid fishery off the East Coast impacted by squid imports?
  • Demand Trends: Have groundfish buyers, whether sourcing supply for U.S. markets or key export markets, required increased traceability in recent years?
  • Pricing Trends: Do imported scallops directly compete with U.S. markets and influence the price U.S. fishermen receive for their product?
  • Substitutability: Do Atlantic cod and haddock imports reduce demand for U.S.-caught cod and haddock?
  • Supply Chains: Do U.S. squid processors process both domestic and imported product?

QUESTIONS: Email the USITC’s Dan Matthews at daniel.matthews@usitc.gov with any questions you have about the upcoming roundtable. He is happy to help.

MORE USITC INFORMATION: At the request of Congress, the USITC is conducting the following investigation. All related documents are available at the links below.

Seafood Obtained via Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing: U.S. Imports and Economic Impact on U.S. Commercial Fisheries (332-575)

ASMFC to Convene Jonah Crab Data Workshop

September 25, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will convene a Data Workshop to evaluate data for future stock assessments. Currently, there is no stock-wide assessment for Jonah crab. The purpose of the workshop is to evaluate all available data sources to determine whether enough data of sufficient quality are available to conduct a stock assessment.  The Workshop will be conducted virtually by webinar November 16-18, 2020, and is open to the public. The workshop agenda will be available on the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/calendar/11/2020/Jonah-Crab-Data-Workshop/1623 in advance of the workshop.

In preparation for the workshop, the Commission is requesting data from academia, member states, federal partners, non-governmental organizations, participating jurisdictions and stakeholders. The Commission welcomes the submission of data sources that will aid in conducting a stock-wide benchmark stock assessment and allow for a determination of stock status. This includes, but is not limited to, data on catch per unit effort, tag-recapture data, biological samples (individual length and weight), and life history information (growth, maturity, natural mortality). For data sets to be considered, the data must be sent in the required format with accompanying description of methods to Jeff Kipp, Senior Stock Assessment Scientist, at jkipp@asmfc.org by November 2, 2020.

For more information about the workshop including presentation of materials, please contact Caitlin Starks, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

PFMC: September 2020 Council Decision Summary Document online

September 23, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council met September 11 and September 14-18, 2020 via RingCentral webinar. The September 2020 Council Meeting Decision Summary Document contains the highlights of significant decisions made during that meeting. Results of agenda items that do not reach a level of highlight significance are typically not described in the Decision Summary Document.

  • Visit the September 2020 meeting webpage and look under “Key Documents” to download the Decision Summary document
  • If you have questions regarding the September 2020 meeting or the Decision Summary document, please contact Council staff at 503-820-2280; toll free 1-866-806-7204
  • Media inquiries, please contact:  Ms. Jennifer Gilden at 503-820-2418

NEFMC September 29-October 1, 2020 – By Webinar – Listen Live, View Documents

September 21, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting by webinar from Tuesday, September 29 through Thursday, October 1, 2020.  The public is invited to listen live and provide input during designated opportunities for public comment.  The Council still cannot hold a large, in-person meeting due to indoor gathering limitations, travel restrictions, and public safety considerations associated with the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic.

START TIME:  9:00 a.m. on Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.  The webinar will end shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

  • Here are instructions in the Remote Participation Guide for successfully joining and participating in the webinar.
  • THIS IS KEY!  If you want to speak during opportunities for public comment, you need to: (1) register for the webinar; and (2) actually “join” the webinar.  People who call in by telephone without joining the webinar will be in listen-only mode.  Those who take both steps – register and then join the webinar – will see the meeting screen and be able to click on a “raise hand” button, which will let the meeting organizer know you want to be unmuted to speak.
  • We have a Help Desk in case you get stuck joining the webinar or have trouble along the way.  Phone numbers are listed on the Help Desk Poster, or just email helpdesk@nefmc.org.  We’ll get right back to you.

WEBINAR CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (631) 992-3221.  The access code is 352-930-778.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  All meeting materials and the agenda are available on the Council’s website at NEFMC September 29-October 1, 2020 Webinar Meeting.  Additional documents will be posted as they become available.

JOIN THE USITC ROUNDTABLE:  At 6:00 p.m. or shortly following the close of Council business on Tuesday, September 29, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) will host a virtual roundtable to gather input from New England fishermen and other industry stakeholders on two topics:

  • The impacts of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing on the U.S. fishing industry; and
  • The impacts of seafood imports on U.S. products and markets.
All stakeholders are encouraged to join the discussion.  No preregistration is needed.  Just join HERE.  Additional information can be found in the USITC roundtable flyer.

COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at the New England Council’s webinar meeting is Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 8:00 a.m.

THREE MEETING OUTLOOK:  A copy of the New England Council’s Three Meeting Outlook is available HERE.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK! COMMITTEE AND ADVISORY PANEL MEETING LINEUP:  Here’s what’s on the calendar leading up to the Council meeting.  Details are available at each respective link.

WPRFMC: Federal Fishery Managers Agree to Longline Electronic Reporting, Preliminary Hawai’i Grey Snapper Limits

September 21, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Yesterday, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council concluded its 2020 third-quarter meeting with the following recommendations and actions, among others. The Council is mandated by Congress to manage the fisheries offshore of Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Areas. The complete list of actions taken by the Council at the three-day meeting will be posted at http://www.wpcouncil.org/event/183rd-council-meeting/.

Mandatory Electronic Reporting: The Council took final action on a regulatory amendment for mandatory electronic reporting for vessels operating under the Hawai’i longline limited entry permit and vessels larger than 50 feet in length (i.e., size classes C and D) operating under the American Samoa longline limited entry permit. Under the amendment, vessel operators must record and submit logbook data within 24 hours after completion of each fishing day using an electronic logbook application certified by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). In the event of technology malfunction, vessel operators would be required to submit the logbook data by paper or electronically within 72 hours of the end of each fishing trip. The recommended date for implementing mandatory electronic reporting is by July 1, 2021. This regulatory amendment is pending approval by the Secretary of Commerce.

Main Hawaiian Island Grey Snapper (Uku): The Council selected a preliminary annual catch limit (ACL) of 295,419 for main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) grey snapper for fishing years 2022 to 2025. This ACL corresponds to a 41% risk of overfishing. The Council also selected an annual catch target (ACT) at 36% risk of overfishing, which corresponds to annual catch of 291,010 pounds. The Council will work with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to develop accountability measures to ensure the catch does not exceed the ACL. The Council recommended that accountability measure options be considered that recognize the challenges with tracking catch from the noncommercial fishery. The Council may take final action on the ACL and accountability measures at its meeting in March 2021.

Seabird Mitigation in the Hawai’i Longline Fishery: Hawai’i longline vessels are required to mitigate interactions with seabirds. The Council will be considering including tori lines (also known as bird streamers or bird scare lines) at a future meeting as an additional option to measures already in place. The Council asked NMFS to support at-sea trials for winter 2020/spring 2021 through an Experimental Fishing Permit that would allow testing tori line efficacy without the use of blue-dyed bait when fishing north of 23° N.

North Pacific Striped Marlin: The Council will work with NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) to develop a proposed international measure to limit total catch of North Pacific striped marlin in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean from 2021 to 2024. The North Pacific population is considered to be overfished and subject to overfishing. The Council will work with NMFS PIRO to incorporate U.S. longline catch limits of North Pacific striped marlin at 457 metric tons, consistent with previous Council recommendations, into the proposed measure.

Oceanic Whitetip Sharks: The Council requested NMFS PIFSC to provide updates on its oceanic whitetip shark projects for the Council and Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) to consider at its December 2020 meetings. The species is considered overfished and subject to overfishing and is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The Council also recommended that the Oceanic Whitetip Shark Working Group proceed with analyzing longline mitigation measures and that updates be completed and reviewed by the Council’s Plan Team before the March 2021 SSC meeting.

Advisory Committees: The Council approved the membership of the Non-Commercial Fishing Advisory Committee to include the Hawai’i Marine Recreational Fishing Survey coordinator, NMFS PIRO recreational fishing coordinator,NMFS PIFSC recreational fishing coordinator,Saipan Fishermen’s Association representative,Pago Pago Gamefish Association Representative, Shut Up and Fish (Guam noncommercial), Hawaii Fishermen’s Alliance for Conservation and Tradition representative(s), Pacific Islands Fisheries Group representative(s) and Hawai’i fishing club representative(s).

The Council also approved the following proposed new members of the Fishing Industry Advisory Committee: Michael Goto (United Fishing Agency, Ltd., Hawai’i), Kerry Umamoto (Hilo Fish Company, Hawai’i), Josh Schade (Ahi Assassins, Hawai’i), Eric Kingma (Hawaii Longline Association, Hawai’i), Kenton Geer (commercial seamount fisherman, Hawai’i),Carlos Herrera (Hitman’s Tackle, Guam), Vince Haleck (Tautai O Samoa Association, American Samoa), Lino Tenorio (commercial bottomfish fisherman, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) and Dean Sensui (Hawaii Goes Fishing, Western Pacific Region).

Offshore Energy: The Council adopted an offshore energy policy that takes into account potential impacts of such developments to federal fisheries, habitat and ecosystem.

For more information, contact the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or at (808) 522-8220.

Council Focuses on Dolphin and Wahoo Management Measures During Meeting Week

September 18, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Bullet Mackerel and Frigate Mackerel aren’t likely to show up on a dinner plate, but they are the preferred meal for prized game fish such as Wahoo and Blue Marlin and to a lesser extent Dolphin and other apex species found along the Atlantic coast. Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council took action during their meeting this week via webinar to acknowledge the importance of Bullet and Frigate Mackerel, sometimes referred to as tuna, as forage fish by adding the two species to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan as ecosystem component species

The Dolphin Wahoo Plan is administered by the South Atlantic Council and management extends along the entire Atlantic Coast. The designation, through Amendment 12 to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP, comes at the request of the Mid-Atlantic Council and has been largely supported by both scientists and fishermen. The Council received 117 written public comments, the majority in favor of the designation. “Bullet tunas can be protected for the benefit of our offshore marlin, tuna, and wahoo fisheries without harming any existing commercial or recreational fisheries by designating them as Ecosystem Component species,” said Heather Maxwell, tournament director for the annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament held out of Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. “The management of these species is paramount to the future success of our tournaments,” said Maxwell, noting the economic importance of the tournaments to the area’s economy.

Concerns about Bullet and Frigate Mackerel began to emerge following the targeting of Chub Mackerel, another important forage fish, by commercial fishermen in the Mid-Atlantic following a downturn in the squid fishery in 2013. Commercial landings increased substantially in a single year, prompting the Mid-Atlantic Council quickly develop a plan to manage Chub Mackerel and protect other forage fish in the region from uncontrolled harvest. Bullet and Frigate Mackerel were included in the initial plan but were removed when the plan was reviewed by NOAA Fisheries. There isn’t currently a directed commercial fishery for Bullet or Frigate Mackerel and recreational fishermen occasionally target the two species as bait. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the addition of the of these species to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP would provide an avenue to address management issues should they arise.

The Council continued work on other measures affecting the Dolphin and Wahoo fishery, including modifications to current annual catch limits, accountability measures, allocations, and recreational bag and vessel limits in draft Amendment 10 the Dolphin Wahoo FMP. The Council will continue work on the amendment in December and public hearings are currently scheduled to be held in early 2021.

Council members received written comments and heard from fishermen during public comment, primarily charter captains in the Florida Keys expressing concerns about the Dolphin fishery in South Florida, with fishermen catching fewer fish and the absence of larger “bull” Dolphin being captured. The fishermen expressed concerns about the commercial longline fishery for Dolphin and possible impacts. The annual catch limit for Dolphin is currently allocated 90% recreational and 10% commercial.

Council members received a presentation from Dr. Wessley Merton with the Dolphinfish Research Tagging Program showing the distribution of Dolphin based on the program’s tagging studies, noting the majority of the commercial fishery occurs outside of U.S. waters in the Caribbean, South America, and international waters. The Council will consider an additional amendment to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP addressing the longline fishery in the future.

Other Business:

The Council also developed a list of recommendations in response to the President’s Executive Order to Promote American Seafood after reviewing input from stakeholders and advisory panel members. The recommendations include modernization of the Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) program for the Wreckfish fishery, modifications to the Oculina Bank Habitat Area of Particular Concern, commercial electronic logbooks and commercial permits for the snapper grouper fishery. Recommendations will be provided to NOAA Fisheries for further consideration.

In response to a recent stock assessment for Red Porgy, the Council began work on an amendment for management measures to address overfishing, rebuild the stock and revise allocations. The stock has not rebuilt despite management efforts, with a rebuilding plan currently in place. Under the Magnuson Stevens Conservation and Management Act, the Council has two years to implement new measures.

The Council held elections during its meeting, electing Mel Bell, former Vice Chair and representative for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Marine Resources Division as its new Chair. Steve Poland, Council representative for the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries was elected Vice Chair. Council members acknowledged Jessica McCawley for her service as Chair over the past two years, noting her effective leadership through the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional information about this week’s meeting, including a meeting Story Map, committee reports, and briefing book materials is available from the Council’s website at: https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/. The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is currently scheduled for December 7-11, 2020 in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

Atlantic Herring Area 1A Days Out Measures for Season 2 – Call Scheduled for October 16; Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire Spawning Closure in Effect Starting September 23 through November 3, 2020; and CORRECTION to the Eastern Maine Spawning

September 18, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The following announcement includes information on (1) days out measures for the 2020 Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) Atlantic herring fishery for Season 2 (October 1 – December 31); (2) closure dates for the Western Maine and New Hampshire/Massachusetts spawning area; and (3) a correction to the closure dates for Eastern Maine spawning area.

Landings Day for the 2020 Area 1A Fishery for Season 2

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts met September 17 via conference call to set effort control measures for the 2020 Area 1A fishery for Season 2. The Season 2 quota is 914 metric tons (mt), which is 27.2% of the Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (ACL) after adjusting for the research set-aside, the 30 mt fixed gear set-aside, a slight underage from Season 1, and the fact that the Area 1A fishery closes at 92% of the sub-ACL.

  • Landings days will be set at zero (0) from October 1 until the start of the fishery on October 11 in Maine and October 12 in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
  • The fishery will move to three (3) consecutive landings days per week starting October 11 in Maine and October 12 in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
  • The fishery will move to two (2) consecutive landings days per week starting October 18 in Maine and October 19 in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
  • Landings days in Maine begin on Sunday of each week at 6:00 p.m.; landing days in New Hampshire and Massachusetts begin on Monday of each week at 12:01 a.m.

Harvesters are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip from Area 1A until October 11 or 12, depending on the state. Landings will be closely monitored and the fishery will close when 92% of Area 1A sub-ACL is projected to be reached.

The Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts will reconvene via conference call to review fishing effort on:

  • Friday, October 16, at 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
  • You can join the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone at the following link:https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/947666941. If you are new to GoToMeeting, you can download the app ahead of time (click here) and be ready before the meeting starts. The meeting will be using the computer audio (VoIP), but if you are joining the webinar from your phone only, you can dial in at +1 (571) 317-3112 and enter access code 947-666-941 when prompted. The webinar will start at 9:00 a.m., 30 minutes early, to troubleshoot audio as necessary.
Spawning Area Closures

The Atlantic herring Area 1A fishery regulations include seasonal spawning closures for portions of state and federal waters in Eastern Maine, Western Maine, and Massachusetts/New Hampshire. The Atlantic Herring Management Board approved a forecasting method that relies upon at least three samples, each containing at least 25 female herring in gonadal stages III-V, to trigger a spawning closure. However, closures will begin on predetermined dates if sufficient samples are not available.

Vessels in the directed Atlantic herring fishery cannot take, land, or possess Atlantic herring caught in a spawning area during a closure and must have all fishing gear stowed when transiting through the area. An incidental bycatch allowance of up to 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip/calendar day applies to vessels in non-directed fisheries that are fishing within the Western Maine or Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning areas.

Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire Spawning Closure

There are currently insufficient samples from the Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning areas to determine spawning condition. Therefore, per Addendum II default closure dates, these spawning areas will be closed starting at 12:01 a.m. on September 23, 2020 extending through 11:59 p.m. on November 3, 2020. Western Maine spawning area includes all waters bounded by the following coordinates:

43° 30’ N     Maine coast
43° 30’ N      68° 54.5’ W
43° 48’ N         68° 20’ W
North to Maine coast at 68° 20’ W

The Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning area includes all waters bounded by the Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine coasts, and 43° 30’ N and 70° 00’ W.

CORRECTION: Eastern Maine Spawning Area Closed through 11:59 p.m. October 8, 2020

The Eastern Maine Spawning Area closure extends through 11:59 p.m. on October 8, 2020. Directed herring vessels may begin fishing in the Eastern Maine spawning area starting at 12:01 a.m. on October 9, but may not land herring caught from this spawning area until the Season 2 fishery opens on October 11 or 12, depending on the state of landing. Eastern Maine spawning area includes all waters bounded by the following coordinates:

Maine coast     68° 20’ W
43° 48’ N          68° 20’ W
44° 25’ N         67° 03’ W
North along the US/Canada border

For more information, please contact Max Appelman, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or mappelman@asmfc.org.

The announcement including motions from the September 17th Atlantic Herring Days Out Meeting can be found at http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/5f64fc77AtlHerringSeason2DaysOutMeasures_WM_MANH_Closures_Sept2020.pdf

ASMFC 79th Annual Meeting Webinar Preliminary Agenda and Public Comment Guidelines

September 18, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Usually, this time of year we are in the final stages of preparing for our Annual Meeting, which is hosted by one of our 15 member states. It is a special meeting, where our Commissioners and federal partners come together to not only conduct important fisheries management business, but also celebrate our collective and, in the case of the Captain David H. Hart Award recipient, individual contributions to the sustainable and cooperative management of Atlantic coastal fisheries. This year, the Annual Meeting was scheduled to be held in New Jersey but continuing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and prohibitions on large gatherings resulted in us making the difficult choice of postponing the in-person meeting until next year and shifting to a virtual meeting this year.  Notably, this is the first time since 1942 that the Commission will not meet in-person for an Annual Meeting.

In light of this, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Annual Meeting Webinar will be held October 19-22, 2020. The preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines, which follow, are also available on the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2020-annual-meeting-webinar. The final agenda, meeting materials and webinar details will be available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2020-annual-meeting-webinar by October 7th.

We look forward to meeting with you at the 79th Annual Meeting Webinar.

Council Identifies Priorities for US Pacific Island Fishery Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief

September 17, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, meeting virtually this week, recommended actions the Trump Administration could take to promote seafood competitiveness and economic growth and to provide regulatory relief to support economic recovery for the offshore fisheries of Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and eight Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIAs). The Council member representing the Hawai’i State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and the NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) voted in opposition.

The Council’s recommendations to the Administration respond to President Trump’s Executive Orders (EOs) 13921 and 13924 issued on May 7 and May 19, 2020, respectively. The purposes of EO 13921 include removing outdated and unnecessarily burdensome regulations and improving transparency and efficiency of environmental reviews, among others. Section 4 of EO asks for each of the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils to provide a prioritized list of recommended actions that would reduce burdens on domestic fishing and increase production within sustainable fisheries.

The Council’s list includes improving implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under the current process, the Hawai’i shallow-set longline fishery has experienced three seasons of restricted fishing following a May 2018 lawsuit settlement that arbitrarily reduced the fishery’s allowable incidental catch of loggerhead turtles to 17. Nearly all of these sea turtles are released alive. The Council recommended that Reasonable and Prudent Measures (RPMs) developed to ensure the continued existence of an ESA-listed species should be indeed “reasonable” and commensurate with the relative impact to the ESA-listed population. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Fishery Science Center (PIFSC), the Hawai’i shallow-set longline fishery has no discernable impact on the loggerhead population. The Council also recommended that ESA environmental reviews of fisheries be completed within the 135-day statutory timeline and that RPMs be developed with the councils and implemented under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). The Council also recommended that ESA listings be revised where populations are increasing and threats do not pose immediate danger of extinction. The North Pacific loggerhead sea turtle population, for example, has been increasing by more than 2.4% annually.

Another item on the Council’s list is removal of the fishing prohibitions in the four Marine National Monuments in the Pacific and returning management of federally regulated fisheries in monument waters to the MSA. The Pacific monuments comprise half of the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the region.

The Council also proposed exempting manmade and degraded environments, such as harbors, from being classified as essential fish habitat (EFH), i.e., waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding or growth to maturity. The exemption would address lengthy delays and unreasonable conservation actions that hamper harbor improvements and maintenance as these waters are currently considered EFH.

Among other actions taken by the Council during the first half of this week’s meeting are the following:

  • Hawai’i Shallow-Set Longline Fishery: The Council requested that NMFS PIRO work with it and Hawai’i shallow-set longline industry representatives to establish communication procedures that would provide permit holders and vessel owners with timely turtle interaction updates based on observer data. This would ensure that the fleet has access to all available information for the purpose of minimizing interactions with loggerhead and leatherback turtles and complying with new trip limit regulations of two leatherback and five North Pacific loggerhead turtle interactions, which begin tomorrow.
  • Marianas Trench Marine National Monument: The Council requested PIRO and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to reconstitute the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument Advisory Council prior to the publication of the Draft
  • Marianas Trench Marine National Monument Management Plan to ensure comprehensive review of the plan.
    CNMI Fisheries Safety at Sea: The Council requested that the U.S. Coast Guard provide an automatic identification system transmitting beacon and navigational lights on Aguigan (Goat Island) and Anatahan to assist fishermen in identifying the island and to repair navigational lights on Rota and Tinian. The Council also asked NOAA to fix VHF Channel 2 (24-hour weather forecast) broadcasted from Saipan.
  • American Samoa Fisheries: The Council directed its staff to work with the Territory’s Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources to assist eligible fishery participants with completing the requirements to submit CARES Act funding applications and provide updates on the proposal status to the fishing community.
  • PRIA Marine Conservation Plan: The Council modified the objectives and projects in the plan to include longline considerations.

The meeting continues tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.(HST). The public is invited to participate and to provide comments. The meeting agenda, briefing documents and instructions on connecting to the virtual meeting can be found online at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars or by contacting the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or at (808) 522-8220.

PFMC: A Cyber attack on WDFW email system

September 16, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Council has received reports of a cyber attack on the email system at WDFW (Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife).

You should question all emails originating from WDFW, even if you know the sender. WDFW has informed us that they have been infected by a viscous cyber attack that is actively affecting their email. Malicious emails are being sent from known WDFW employees, containing a malicious attachment. The WDFW Cyber Security team is aggressively working to combat this malicious attack and is asking all party’s to be very cautious when opening emails until the all clear is given