March 27, 2026 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
For many Pacific Island communities, green sea turtles are more than a protected species. They are part of ceremony, identity, family teaching and a way of life that many say has been interrupted for generations.
Now, as green sea turtle populations recover, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is advancing a conversation that many island leaders say is long overdue: what recovery could mean not only for conservation, but also for the possible return of cultural stewardship and sustainable use in the Western Pacific.
At its meeting today, the Council reaffirmed its commitment to work with federal and territorial agencies to continue exploring avenues for the sustainable take of green sea turtles in the region.
The action followed an international workshop held March 1, 2026, during the 44th International Sea Turtle Symposium in Kona, Hawai‘i. More than 100 participants from 21 countries and territories gathered to examine how sea turtle use is managed, what systems are working and what lessons may help make sustainable use viable.
The workshop highlighted that conservation and use can coexist. With community involvement, locally adapted management and appropriate biological safeguards, sustainable use can support conservation at any population level. Presentations also showed that sea turtle use continues in subsistence, ceremonial and customary contexts, with local governance, indigenous knowledge and accountability central to successful stewardship.
Council member Chelsa Muña, Guam Dept. of Agriculture director, commended the meaningful progress made through the workshop. “It aligns with past Council comments about incorporating cultural take and traditional knowledge into some form of community-based management,” said Muña. “Rather than villainizing culture, there could be incorporation of that community into some form of management of the population.”
“It was interesting to hear that populations were still increasing in places where take was never banned,” said American Samoa Dept. of Marine and Wildlife Resources Director and Council chair Nathan Ilaoa. “We should not let cultural traditions get lost on our watch, and I encourage our federal partners to take the ball and forge ahead in finding a way for sustainable harvest in our Pacific Island region.”
CNMI Dept. of Lands and Natural Resources Secretary and Council member Sylvan Igisomar said the discussion is ultimately about what communities stand to lose when cultural practices are left dormant for too long. “When a cultural practice is lost, it’s gone forever,” Igisomar said. “My children will never have my childhood.”
“Back in Guam, we try to perpetuate our traditional use of resources while maintaining strong stewardship in how we protect them and take only what we need, especially for events and celebrations,” said Guam Council member Jesse Rosario.
The Council along with U.S. Pacific Islanders have sought to restore culturally important sea turtle harvest since take was prohibited under the Endangered Species Act in 1978. In 2021, a U.S. State Department representative told the Council that avenues for resuming green sea turtle cultural harvest, even if the ESA allowed it, are not available due to U.S. obligations under the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles (IAC). Under the IAC, the parties must take action to prohibit intentional use of sea turtles, with limited exceptions. In September 2025, the Council requested assistance from the Trump Administration to explore changes to the IAC to allow for the sustainable use of green sea turtles in the region.