December 18, 2025 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
On the second day of its 205th meeting, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council advanced key actions to strengthen monitoring, improve at-sea communications and support U.S. Pacific territories in international tuna negotiations.
Electronic Monitoring: Moving From Planning to Implementation
The Council heard an update on electronic monitoring (EM) planning for Hawai‘i and American Samoa longline fisheries, including ongoing coordination among implementation and science partners, fisherman-focused EM forums that began November 25 and continued development of vessel monitoring plans (VMPs). Operational topics raised in VMP discussions included pre-trip system checks and uninterrupted power, camera clarity and lens cleaning, malfunction contingencies and hard drive logistics—especially for longer American Samoa trips.
To support reliable communication at sea, the Council endorsed a Regional Fishery Management Councils letter urging consideration of web-based satellite systems (such as Starlink) as FCC-approved communications options for commercial fishing vessels, noting EM systems could potentially use these mechanisms and that several vessels in the region are already using them successfully.
Council member Edgar Feliciano from American Samoa urged that web-based satellite services like Starlink be authorized for EM in the longline fleet, emphasizing performance and operational benefits. “Starlink should be approved as a preferred communication platform for electronic monitoring—it’s fast, reliable and ideal for moving video and data from vessels in remote areas, improving efficiency, data quality and compliance as the program rolls out through 2027.” He added that real-time connectivity would allow quicker troubleshooting of malfunctions and faster resumption of data collection.
Council member Roger Dang from Hawai‘i echoed that support. “Approving systems like Starlink helps address a major safety issue and is the path forward for reliable data transmission,” he said, adding that costs are likely to decrease as more providers enter the market.
WCPFC22 Follow-up: South Pacific Albacore and Bigeye Tuna Priorities
Building on outcomes from Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC22), held in Manila Dec. 1–5, 2025, the Council outlined several near-term actions to support U.S. Pacific Islands interests in upcoming international negotiations:
- Asked NMFS to work with American Samoa and provide updated South Pacific albacore catch and economic data to inform early 2026 allocation discussions.
- Urged NMFS to coordinate with the territories on a plan to pursue a South Pacific albacore conservation and management measure that would:
……o set an American Samoa catch limit grounded in historical (or ……..aspirational) catch levels and longline capacity,
……o include transfer provisions that recognize American Samoa’s ……..relationship with the U.S. and its role in the Commission, and
……o allow flexible transfers to other WCPFC members, recognizing ……..American Samoa’s limited direct access to high seas fishing areas.
- Sought support for an in-person bigeye tuna management procedure workshop in Honolulu to allow participation of local longline industry.
False Killer Whales Population Trends
The Council also addressed concerns about new abundance estimates for the endangered main Hawaiian Islands insular false killer whale population and emphasized the need for clear, transparent analysis before conclusions are drawn about what may be driving apparent decline.
The Council reiterated its request for the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) to present the abundance estimates to the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), a briefing previously delayed due to the government shutdown. The Council requested that PIFSC run additional analyses identified at the SSC’s 148th meeting in June 2023 to determine whether the estimated population decline is real or an artifact of the underlying data or the modeling approach.
During discussion, Council member Matt Ramsey emphasized that public reaction to the reported decline has been immediate and intense, and urged timely scientific clarity so the community is not “jumping to conclusions.” PIFSC’s TTodd Jones noted that multiple papers address the issue and that the observed patterns may stem from several factors, including population dynamics, environmental variability and fishery interactions, and indicated the science center can provide the requested briefing at the Council’s March 2026 meeting.
Election of Officers
The Council elected the following officers for terms beginning in 2026:
- Chair: Nathan Ilaoa
- Vice Chair (American Samoa): Will Sword
- Vice Chair (CNMI): Sylvan Igisomar
- Vice Chair (Guam): Chelsa Muña
- Vice Chair (Hawai‘i): Roger Dang