ASMFC 2022 Summer Meeting Final Agenda and Materials Now Available

July 20, 2022 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

The final agenda and meeting materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Meeting (to be held August 2-4 at the Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA) are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2022-summer-meeting; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee. For ease of access, all meeting materials have been combined into one document: Main Meeting Materials. Please note that materials for the Law Enforcement Committee are not included in the combined materials. Supplemental materials will be posted to the website on Wednesday, July 27, 2022.

This will be a hybrid meeting (both in-person and remote) to allow for remote participation by Commissioners and interested stakeholders (meeting process details are provided below). The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. Interested parties should anticipate Boards starting earlier or later than indicated herein.

Webinar Information

Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, August 2 at 9 a.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 1:30 p.m.) on Thursday, August 4. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur.

Each day, the webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter. If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio-related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.

To register for the webinar, please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7218217294868422923(Webinar ID: 822-004-851). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can may also call in at +1 (415) 655-0060, access code 636-403-362. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; see webinar instructions for details on how to receive the PIN.

If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), you can may also call in at +1 (562) 247-8422, access code 616-672-938. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; see webinar instructions for details on how to receive the PIN. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.

Meeting Process

In terms of meeting process, Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual Board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The Chair will work with staff to compile the list of speakers, balancing the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for the public and interested stakeholders when the Board Chair provides an opportunity for public comment. Depending upon the number of commenters, the Board Chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

Each day, the webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter. If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.

Public Comment Guidelines

To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).

1. Comments received three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (July 11) have been included in the briefing materials.

2. Comments received by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, July 26^th will be included in supplemental materials.

3. Comments received by 10:00 AM on Friday, July 29^th will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.

2023-2026 Council Advisory Panel Member Solicitation

July 20, 2022 — The following was released by Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council:

The Council invites you to apply for membership on one of its Advisory Panels!

Who is eligible to apply?

If you have an interest in keeping our fisheries sustainable, we want you to apply! However, you must be a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident and at least 18 years old. We are looking for folks that can represent the fishing community, have experience in fishing, fisheries science or management, and can provide both information to the community and advice to the Council. We seek individuals that represent different fishing sectors (commercial, non-commercial, subsistence, charter), fishing methods (longline, bottomfish, trolling, spearfishing, etc.), and interests of the fishing community (indigenous, seafood/marketing, fishing supply, conservation, etc.).

What does an AP member do?

An AP member is the bridge between the fishing community and the fishery managers and scientists. An AP member’s role is to listen and share the community’s sentiments about its environment, fishing resources, and challenges to fishing and then share that with the Council. The second part is to be willing to go back out to the community and share what you have learned and what the Council is doing.

What is my commitment?

The Council is looking for AP members that will commit to being a member for four years. The positions are voluntary and meetings times may vary. While AP members are not paid, they may be reimbursed for expenses related to their participation in meetings and receive a small stipend. AP members should be willing to meet regularly and attend at least four AP meetings per year.

How do I apply?

If you are interested in becoming an AP member, applications are being accepted online at https://tinyurl.com/APMemberAppl. The Council must receive your completed application by August 19, 2022. If you need other arrangements, please call the Council office at (808) 522-8220 for assistance. The Council will select AP members in September and notify applicants by early October. If you have any questions, contact Zach Yamada at (808) 522-8227 or Zach.Yamada@wpcouncil.org.

August 2022 Hybrid Council Meeting

July 19, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management

August 2022 Hybrid Council Meeting

Monday, August 8 – Thursday, August 11, 2022

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet August 8-11, 2022 in Philadelphia, PA. This meeting will be conducted as a hybrid meeting, with options to participate in person at the The Notary Hotel (21 N. Juniper Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-496-3200) or virtually via Webex webinar. A portion of the meeting will be conducted jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Bluefish Management Board and Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass Management Board.

Please see the August 2022 Council Meeting Page for webinar connection instructions, public comment deadlines, briefing materials (as they become available), and other updates.

A detailed agenda is available here. Below is an overview of the main topics to be covered each day.

Monday, August 8 (beginning at 3:00 p.m.)

Joint with ASMFC Bluefish Management Board

Bluefish 2023 Specifications Review
Bluefish FMP Review (Board Only)

Tuesday, August 9

Joint with ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board

EAFM Recreational Summer Flounder Management Strategy Evaluation
Summer Flounder 2023 Specifications Review
Scup 2023 Specifications Review
Black Sea Bass 2023 Specifications Review
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery FMP Review (Board Only)

Wednesday, August 10

BOEM Guidance for Mitigating Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy Projects on Commercial and Recreational Fisheries
Presentation: Community Offshore Wind Project
East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning
Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee/Advisory Panel Report on Potential Designation of Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary
Update on New England Fishery Management Council Activities Affecting Mid-Atlantic
Butterfish 2023 – 2024 Specifications
Report on Illex Squid Research Track Assessment Process
Illex Preliminary 2023 Specifications
Update on Illex Permit Amendment (Amendment 22 to the Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish FMP)
Acknowledgement of Outgoing Council Members

Thursday, August 11

Swearing In of New and Reappointed Council Members
Election of Officers
Business Session

Read the full release here

Council Approves HAPC for Southern New England; Previews Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment Data Explorer

July 18, 2022 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council voted in late June to establish a new Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) that overlaps offshore wind-energy lease sites in Southern New England and includes a 10-kilometer buffer on all sides of the sites (see map below).

The Council selected this area to highlight its concerns over potential adverse impacts from offshore wind development on: (1) sensitive hard-bottom habitats; and (2) cod spawning activity. If approved by NOAA Fisheries, the HAPC designation would be applied during the essential fish habitat (EFH) consultation process for offshore wind projects in the area. Some projects are already permitted, while others are currently undergoing environmental review or are within the site assessment phase.

HAPCs are a subset of EFH. The proposed Southern New England HAPC overlaps designated EFH for several Council-managed species that rely on complex habitats. Furthermore, there has been recent evidence of cod spawning activity on Cox Ledge within the proposed HAPC. The boundaries cover the footprint of the wind-energy leases plus a buffer on all sides, recognizing that some aspects of offshore development may have impacts that extend out to at least 10 kilometers, such as acoustic impacts from pile driving.

The Council reviewed four other HAPC alternatives before selecting this fifth option, which combines the conservation objectives of the other alternatives and emphasizes the importance of complex habitat on the egg, juvenile, and adult life stages of species ranging from herring and scallops to monkfish, skates, winter flounder, and red hake in addition to cod. The Council initiated the framework for this HAPC in February 2022, postponed action in April pending further development, and took final action in June. View the latest HAPC presentation and other June meeting materials here.

Read the full release here

Council Discusses Climate Change, Research Priorities, EBFM, Sturgeon, Right Whales, and Equity & Environmental Justice

July 14, 2022 — The New England Fishery Management Council met June 28-30, 2022 and received numerous updates over the course of its three-day hybrid meeting in Portland, Maine. Here are a few of the highlights.

CLIMATE CHANGE: The Council received a presentation from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center on the Draft Northeast Climate Regional Action Plan, which is out for public comment through July 29, 2022. Version 1 of the plan was in place from 2016 to 2021. The current draft – Version 2 – will be used by NOAA Fisheries to implement the agency’s Climate Science Strategy in 2022-2024. The document contains information on warming ocean temperatures (see graphic at right) and much more. The Council received input from its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) on the draft action plan and will be submitting its own written comments in advance of the deadline.

The Council also received a progress report on the East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning initiative. The overarching questions are:

• How might climate change affect stock availability and distribution, as well as other aspects of East Coast marine fisheries, over the next 20 years; and

• What does this mean for effective future governance and management across multiple jurisdictions? What tools are needed to provide flexible and robust management strategies to address uncertainty in an era of climate change?

The Core Team working on this initiative hosted a June 21-23, 2022 Scenario Creation Workshop where participants developed scenarios or stories describing eight alternative futures under climate change. Next, the Core Team will review and edit inputs from the workshop to create a draft set of scenarios for further discussion and feedback during three scenario deepening webinars in mid-August. These webinars will be open to the public. The Council will have an in-depth discussion of the scenarios during its September 27-29, 2022 meeting and provide feedback to the Core Team on next steps.

Read the full release here

Atlantic Herring: Council Receives Update on 2023-2025 Specs; Discusses Status of Framework 7, Industry-Funded Monitoring

July 12, 2022 — The New England Fishery Management Council covered three issues related to Atlantic herring when it met June 28-30, 2022 for a hybrid meeting in Portland, Maine.

SPECIFICATIONS: The Council received a brief update on 2023-2025 herring specifications, which are under development. The Herring Plan Development Team (PDT) is working on the action, and the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee will develop the overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations at an August 4, 2022 meeting. The annual catch limit (ACL), area-specific sub-ACLs, and other fishery specifications will flow from the ABC. The Herring Advisory Panel and Herring Committee will meet later this summer to review the specifications and recommend preferred alternatives for Council consideration. The Council will take final action during its September 27-29, 2022 meeting.

The specifications will be informed by the peer reviewed results of the June 2022 Herring Management Track Assessment, which was conducted immediately preceding the start of the Council meeting. Herring was last assessed in 2020 and was determined to be overfished, although overfishing was not occurring. Results from the new 2022 assessment are being finalized, but it does not appear the status of the resource has changed much from the previous assessment.

Read the full release here

Scallops: Council Initiates New Framework; Approves 2023-2024 Research-Set Aside Program Priorities

July 1, 2022 — During its June 28-30, 2022 hybrid meeting in Portland, ME, the New England Fishery Management Council initiated a new framework adjustment to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. The framework will include specifications for the 2023 scallop fishing year, default specifications for 2024, and other measures. Work on this action – Framework 36 – will continue throughout the summer and fall and address recommendations from the final report on the evaluation of rotational management. The Council will receive an update on Framework 35 in September, and final action is scheduled for December.

RSA PRIORITIES: The Council also approved 2023-2024 priorities for the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. Once again, the Council selected scallop resource surveys as its highest priority. These industry- based surveys provide important data on scallop length frequencies, abundance, and biomass that directly feed into the Scallop Plan Development Team’s work to develop annual specifications for the fishery. RSA surveys primarily support the fishery’s annual management and science needs.

The Council adopted six “medium priority” research categories – all of which were equally ranked – and two additional priorities under “general research” that also were equally ranked.

Read the full release from the NEFMC

NOAA Fisheries Invites Public Comment on New Draft Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy

June 30, 2022 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Council Family – This topic was discussed at the most recent advisory group and Council meetings. As you know, the Western Pacific Region is recognized for community development and education and training programs in the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and yet have been underfunded for many years. NMFS will host four webinars – see details below. At the June 30 session, NMFS Pacific Islands Region staff will focus on Pacific Islands Regional issues and will be on hand to answer questions. We encourage you all to participate.

-Kitty Simonds

The following was originally released by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) May 6, 2022.

NOAA Fisheries shared its first-ever draft Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy and invited public comments through August 19 (*extended to August 31*). In addition to accepting written comments, we will host four webinars on the strategy, where comments will be accepted. Additional in-person meetings and opportunities to comment via phone will be announced on a rolling basis, once those plans are finalized.

“NOAA Fisheries is focused on serving all communities more equitably and effectively, and this strategy will provide the framework to do just that,” said Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries and NOAA’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, Janet Coit.

“We are committed to advancing equity and environmental justice, including equal treatment, opportunities, and environmental benefits for all people and communities, while building on continuing efforts and partnerships with underserved and underrepresented communities,” she added.

Goals and Objectives

The agency identified three overarching, long-term goals in the strategy. They are:

Prioritize identification, equitable treatment, and meaningful involvement of underserved communities
Provide equitable delivery of services
Prioritize equity and environmental justice in our mandated and mission work

The agency also identified six short-term objectives in the strategy. They are:

Provide an empowering environment within the agency to support multiple equity and environmental justice approaches at NOAA Fisheries
Incorporate equity and environmental justice in agency policies and plans
Achieve equity in research and researching equity
Outreach and engage equitably
Equitably distribute benefits
Ensure inclusive governance

This national strategy is the result of guidance from recent Executive Orders, the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, the Department of Commerce’s Equity Action Plan, NOAA’s Climate Council and agency leadership, enthusiastic staff participation, and a clear and growing need indicated by underserved communities. The strategy also builds on our previous equity and environmental justice efforts to provide guidance for incorporating and prioritizing EEJ in ongoing and future activities in support of our mission.

“While we are making progress in addressing equity and environmental justice, we know that we have much more work to do to embed EEJ into our day-to-day efforts,” said NOAA Fisheries Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, Sam Rauch, who also convened and led the agency’s EEJ Working Group. “By focusing on these goals and objectives we will provide more equitable stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources and their habitat.”

How You Can Help

NOAA Fisheries’ science, conservation, and management activities serve a diverse array of communities across the United States and territories. However, not all communities have equal opportunities and access to agency-led services. Through this call for public comment, we seek assistance in several areas, including help to identify:

Who the agency’s underserved communities are
How the agency can reduce barriers to underserved communities
How the agency can better incorporate equity and environmental justice into our daily activities
How we can improve equity in our programs and policies now, with our current resources, and in the future
Help evaluating whether the draft recommendations for action are on target

How to Provide Comment

You can provide comments online. You can also comment at webinars, by phone, and at in-person meetings. The webinars will be held on:

June 30, 2022, 1 – 3 p.m. HST, noon – 2 p.m. SST, July 1, 2022, 8 – 10 a.m. ChST

(Visit this page and click on “Register for June 30 webinar”)**** (link corrected)

July 19, 2022, 10 a.m. – noon HST, 9 – 11 a.m. SST, July 20, 2022, 6 – 8 a.m. ChST

(Visit this page and click on “Register for July 19 webinar”) (link corrected)

****At this session, NMFS Pacific Islands Region staff will focus on Pacific Island Regional issues and will be on hand to answer questions.

Achieving Our Goals

To achieve our initial equity and environmental justice goals, each of the agency’s national program offices and geographic regions will incorporate EEJ into a step-down implementation plan. These plans will be specific and responsive to the needs of underserved communities and allows for the input of underserved communities. Each program, science center, and regional office will set equity and environmental justice as a Priority Area or milestone in annual strategic planning starting in 2023. And, the agency’s step-down implementation plans will include metrics describing equity and environmental justice actions. Our progress will be publicly reported annually in an EEJ Scorecard.

“To be clear, this strategy does not endorse business as usual and is not a rebranding of existing activities. Rather, this national strategy describes the path that NOAA Fisheries will take to incorporate EEJ into the vital services we provide to all stakeholders,” said Coit.

Council Offended by Removal of Last Vestiges of US Ocean Waters Open to Fishing

June 24, 2022 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Council supported permitting non-commercial fishing and prohibiting commercial fishing in the Monument Expansion Area of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) (50 to 200 nautical miles). Council members were infuriated because continuing to close areas to fishing is an affront to indigenous peoples. Members stressed the importance of continuing indigenous cultures and practices. Guam Council Vice Chair Manny Dueñas said, “Permitting fishing perpetuates Hawaiian culture, and does not preserve it in a pickle jar. Whether they decide to or not, I want the Hawaiians to have the opportunity to be able to practice their culture.”

“It is important that we allow Native Hawaiian traditional practices, but minimize the impacts from non-native fishing,” said David Sakoda, Council representative for the State of Hawai‘i.

Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds asked, “How much more protection would we have by an overlay of the sanctuary? Closing these waters to protect migratory fish is futile when the fish move everywhere.”

The Council will develop the details for provisions related to non-commercial fishing in the NWHI, including Native Hawaiian practices and cooperative research to amend the Council’s Fishery Ecosystem Plans for initial action in September.

The Council also discussed a proposal to further expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM), closing waters 50 to 200 nautical miles seaward of Palmyra Atoll, Kingman Reef and Howland and Baker Islands. The existing PRIMNM already closes all waters 0 to 200 nm around Wake Island, Johnston Atoll, Jarvis Island, and closes waters 0 to 50 nm from the proposed island areas.

“With the additional restrictions that keep getting placed on indigenous fishermen, pretty soon no one will be able to go fishing. This has got to stop,” emphasized Monique Amani, Council member from Guam. “During the pandemic, the islands came together to utilize their subsistence traditions of fishing to support each other.”

Expansion would jeopardize the viability of the tuna cannery in American Samoa, the largest employer in the territory. The cannery relies on fish supply from the U.S.-flagged purse seine fleet, which has declined from 38 to 13 vessels. Closing the remaining U.S. waters of Howland, Baker, and Palmyra Islands forces U.S. purse seiners to fish farther away from American Samoa and thereby deliver their catch to closer ports, like Ecuador.

“More than half of the people in American Samoa live below the poverty level,” said Council Chair Archie Soliai. “If the president signs off on this, it will be in conflict with his executive order on advancing equity and environmental justice in underserved communities.”

CNMI Council member McGrew Rice added, “We need to consider that the Pacific Remote Islands monument is surrounded by more than 3,000 foreign vessels that fish in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. All it’s doing is increasing fishing privileges for competing foreign fleets that don’t manage to our standards.”

Council members continued to express frustration with restricted access to fishing within monuments and sanctuaries in their areas. “What is the point of a monument expansion?” asked Guam Council member Chelsa Muña-Brecht. “Is it to preserve the pretty fish in the area? It doesn’t serve the community and doesn’t level the playing ground between U.S. and foreign fishers.”

The Antiquities Act that presidents use to establish monuments is not a transparent process, but implemented through a “top-down” approach that conflicts with equity and environmental justice principles. “The Antiquities Act was intended to protect burial sites and relics of indigenous people. It is not an appropriate approach to marine conservation – we have the MSA for that,” said John Gourley, Council vice chair from the CNMI. “Monument designation bypasses the courtesy of involving affected communities.”

Hawai‘i Council member Matt Ramsey said, “To avoid unintended consequences, it’s critical that stakeholder engagement occurs early on in the process of developing a fisheries management proposal. Those most impacted by a management action need to have an opportunity to learn about the proposed action and share their perspective.”

The Council will ask President Biden for a comprehensive evaluation of the unintended consequences of the proposed expansion and that any measures be evaluated through a transparent and public process prior to implementation.

Western Pacific Federal Managers Support Conservation Definition and Request Better Coordination with NOAA on ESA Biological Opinions

June 23, 2022 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Today, the Council requested NOAA and the Council for Environmental Quality (CEQ) adopt a Council Coordination Committee (CCC) area-based management subcommittee’s proposed definition of “conservation area” to identify qualifying regions in President Biden’s “30×30” initiative. The CCC represents the eight Regional Fishery Management Councils in the nation.

“The Council has a golden opportunity to support what the CCC has done, and help NOAA and the CEQ move forward with a sensible and fair definition of conservation that not only includes provisions to protect biodiversity, but also promotes wise use of fisheries,” said Will Sword, Council vice chair from American Samoa.

The Council recommends CEQ follow National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) guidelines when implementing America the Beautiful and consult state and territorial governors affected by new conservation areas. In addition, the Council will inform NOAA, the CEQ and Biden Administration that the Western Pacific Region has met 97% of the “30×30” goal to conserve 30% of all U.S. lands and waters by 2030 with its existing marine managed areas.

The Council called upon NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to include the Council in developing any reasonable and prudent measures in advance of the draft biological opinions on the Hawai‘i deep-set and American Samoa longline fisheries. The biological opinion assesses if the fisheries are likely to jeopardize the continued existence or recovery of Endangered Species Act-listed species.

A NMFS policy directive recognizes the Council’s unique role in helping the agency comply with the ESA. The Council is charged with developing fishery management regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which are approved by the Secretary of Commerce and then implemented by NMFS. Despite repeated Council requests over the past three years, NMFS has not discussed potential measures that may be needed to reduce the fisheries’ impacts on ESA-listed species.

The Council recommended setting a 2023 catch limit of 2,000 metric tons (mt) of bigeye tuna each for American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI). Each U.S. Participating Territory would have a transfer limit up to 1,500 mt to Hawai‘i-based U.S. longline vessels operating under approved specified fishing agreements with the territories. Total transfers would be limited to 3,000 mt.

The Hawai‘i longline fishery has a low impact (3% of total catch) on the Western and Central Pacific (WCPO) bigeye tuna stock. The Council recommended exploring an increase to the U.S. longline catch limit for WCPO bigeye tuna and increasing future allocation limits from the territories to Hawai‘i-based longline vessels.

In the 2021 annual report on the status of fisheries in the region, pelagic fisheries catch increased across gear types, resulting in increased revenue from high fish prices. Bottomfish fisheries in the CNMI and Guam increased substantially in catch and effort. Bottomfish catch in American Samoa waned to its lowest level over the past decade—the average yearly catch of approximately 12,000 pounds dropped to just over 2,000 pounds in 2021. Reports will be available on the Council website next week.

The Council held an equity and environmental justice (EEJ) workshop in April that brought together indigenous Council members, advisory panel members, NOAA regional staff and leaders in the Western Pacific Region. To effect EEJ momentum in our region, participants emphasized the importance of outreach and engagement, building local capacity, fostering a bottom-up approach, funding community projects, collaborating with local agencies and managing climate change impacts. Based on this workshop, the Council will provide comments on the NMFS draft EEJ strategy to identify long-standing issues in the U.S. Pacific Islands.

Council Actions

August 2022 Hybrid Council Meeting