October 14, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Did you know that in Hawaiʻi, state regulations specify that you can only keep the ulua (giant trevally) you catch if it’s at least 10 inches long? Or that federal regulations place annual catch limits for Pacific bigeye tuna in fisheries across American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Hawaiʻi?
Regulatory conservation agencies use a number of tools like size and catch limits to make sure our seafood is around for future generations to enjoy. But these approaches mean little if the animals have no place to call home.
That’s why NOAA Fisheries works hard to also protect the habitat of the seafood species we eat. We’re engaged in numerous habitat management initiatives in the Pacific Islands region. Our work ranges from minimizing habitat impacts from federal projects to working with partners to actively maintain and restore habitat. Here are five examples of ways we’re preserving the habitat of our Pacific Islands seafood.