Saving Seafood

Hawai’i fishermen, environmentalists react to Trump’s executive order to reopen waters in the Pacific

April 21, 2025 — Fishermen and conservationists are clashing over President Donald Trump’s executive order on Thursday to reopen protected waters in the Pacific to commercial fishing.

The decision, aimed at boosting American Samoa’s economy, would allow access to the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. U.S. flagged ships would be authorized to fish commercially within 50 to 2,000 nautical miles outside the monument’s boundaries.

Members of the Hawai’i Longline Association (HLA) released a statement explaining the “significance of the proclamation for Hawaii’s fishing industry.”

“This is recognition that sustainable fisheries and ocean protection can be achieved and balanced within U.S. national waters,” HLA Executive Director, Eric Kingma said.

Read the full story at Island News

Hawaii Longline Association: Presidential Proclamation Balances Ocean Protection and Sustainable Commercial Tuna Fishing

Reopens US Waters to Highly Monitored US Fishing Vessels 

April 18, 2025 — The following was released by the Hawaii Longline Association:

President Trump issued a proclamation to modify the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument (PIHMNM). The area includes the uninhabited islands and atolls in the central Pacific Ocean under USA jurisdiction named Wake, Palmyra, Johnston, Jarvis, Howland and Baker. The US Exclusive Economic Zone (0-200 nautical miles) around these islands and atolls are subject to federal oversight by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

President Trump’s proclamation modifies the PIHMNM monument boundaries by allowing commercial fishing from 50-200 nautical miles around Johnston and Jarvis Islands. This action supports American tuna fisheries in the Pacific that are sustainable and highly monitored commercial fishing operations. 

“This is recognition that sustainable fisheries and ocean protection can be achieved and balanced within US national waters,” said Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) Executive Director, Eric Kingma. “Previous presidents have mishandled the Antiquities Act to create huge closed areas that banned commercial fishing, with most of these closures occurring in the US Pacific Islands. Of the USA EEZ waters that are closed to commercial fishing over 90% of the area is found in the USA Pacific Islands Region.” 

Relief for U.S. Vessels Competing with Subsidized Foreign Fleets 

Because of these closures, around 85% of the Hawaii longline fleet’s fishing effort occurs in international waters and amongst foreign vessels competing to catch tuna. These foreign fleets are subsidized by their flag countries and are comprised of large-scale freezer vessels that conduct fishing trips lasting 12 months or more – transshipping their catch at sea to carrier vessels. Hawaii longline vessels land only ice-chilled tuna and billfish and make fishing trips lasting 25 days or less. 

“USA fishing vessels need relief from foreign competition. Access to USA EEZ waters around Johnston Island is important for the long-term continuity of the Hawaii longline fleet,” said Sean Martin, HLA President. “In 2023, the United Nations adopted a new convention that provides a framework for high seas marine protected areas. This convention did not exist when the PRI monument was expanded nor when Papahanumokuakea MNM was expanded to the full EEZ. The combination of high seas closures under the UN convention and full closures of USA EEZs waters severely disadvantages US vessels as we’d have nowhere to fish,” Martin continued. 

Globally respected fisheries scientists have found that these closed areas do not have any conservation benefit to highly migratory species or catch rates for the Hawaii longline fleet. 

Sustainable Fishing: Stronger Food Security for Hawaii 

Native Hawaiian longline vessel captain, Kawai Watanabe, said “Fishing is my livelihood and I’m proud to produce fresh ahi for Hawaii and my community. We’re a highly monitored and regulated fishery. We know what we catch and we need to be able to fish in US waters away from large-scale foreign fleets.” 

The Hawaii longline fishery is among the largest food producers in the State of Hawaii. 

Hawaii residents consume seafood at twice the national average. Hawaii residents should support actions that support locally produced seafood — the alternative is foreign imported, low quality ahi that is unregulated and unmonitored, bad for consumers and the environment. 

Background on the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument 

In 2008, President George W. Bush established the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, which encompassed waters from 0-50 nm around each of the islands and atolls and prohibited commercial fishing in those waters. In 2014, President Barack Obama expanded the monument boundaries around Jarvis and Johnston Islands to the full extent of the USA EEZ (0-200 nm), also prohibiting commercial fishing. In 2016, President Obama, using the Antiquities Act expanded Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from 0-50 nm to the full extent of the USA EEZ (0-200 nm), creating the world’s largest marine protected area. Approximately 65% percent of the USA EEZ around the vast Hawaii Archipelago is closed to fishing. In 2020, President Biden initiated a federal action overlay and National Marine Sanctuary over the PRI Monument waters to prohibit commercial fishing in the remaining open areas around Palmyra and Howland/Baker Islands. The action was not completed by the end of President Biden’s term. 

Hawaii longliners convert gear to reduce whitetip shark bycatch

May 27, 2022 — Hawaii’s deep-set longline fleet is completing its changeover from wire leaders to nylon monofilament, a process that fishermen started on their own and is expected to reduce bycatch and mortality of threatened oceanic whitetip sharks by 30 percent.

A new federal regulation effective May 31 will prohibit the use of wire leaders in the fishery, formally instituting the industry-led initiative.

Wire leaders have been used so hooked fish can’t break off, and to make gear safer for fishermen. But even the sharp-toothed oceanic whitetip sharks can’t bite through them, meaning fishermen must release them, a dangerous process for both fish and fishermen.

The Hawaii Longline Association, representing tuna longline fishermen in the area, took the initiative to stop using wire leaders when deep-set longline fishing when its members voluntarily phased out wire leaders starting in November 2020, according to HLA Executive Director Eric Kingma.

“Our members—which include all of the Hawaii-based longline fleet of around 145 vessels—don’t want to catch sharks,” Kingma said in a joint statement with NMFS. “While the amount of fishing effort by Hawaii vessels is small compared with foreign fleets, we continue to work with our members and researchers on innovative methods to minimize the impacts of our fishery on these sharks and other protected species.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

US Pacific Federal Fishery Managers Recommend Tori Lines, New American Samoa Bottomfish Stock Assessment Approach

December 9, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended today to replace blue-dyed fish bait and strategic offal discharge with tori lines in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery’s suite of seabird conservation measures. This amendment will improve the overall operational practicality and efficacy of required mitigation regulations. At their meeting last week, the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) supported the regulatory changes, noting that they are informed by the best scientific information available.

The change was based on a fishing-industry-led collaborative project with Hawai‘i longline vessels to conduct field experiments over the past three years to compare seabird interaction rates with baited hooks. “The Hawaii Longline Association fully supports this change to tori lines,” said HLA Executive Director Eric Kingma. Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds added, “This action is an example representing the Council’s long history of proactive and adaptive conservation measures to address fishery impacts to protected species.”

The Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery, which targets bigeye tuna, has been using a suite of seabird mitigation measures since 2001 under the Council’s Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan. This effort was accomplished through the Magnuson-Stevens Act’s bottom-up approach for making or changing fishery regulations that starts with an issue presented from Council advisory groups and the public.

The Council also endorsed the SSC’s recommendation to use a single-species, age-structured management approach for the next American Samoa bottomfish stock assessment scheduled for 2023. The American Samoa bottomfish fishery is managed in an 11-species complex, which is overfished and experiencing overfishing, according to a 2019 Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) assessment. Data are available to support age-structured assessments.

An SSC working group and PIFSC, American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR) and Council staffs held two data evaluation workshops to improve information used in the stock assessment. “This data discussion and evaluation is a step in the right direction,” said DMWR Director and Council Chair Archie Soliai. “Consultation between PIFSC and DMWR is absolutely necessary to ensure that the next stock assessment is accurate.”

On another issue, Council members raised concerns with the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) “negative determination” that the proposed critical habitat designation for Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed coral species is not expected to affect the territories’ Coastal Zone Management Programs. Territory governments have been receiving conflicting information from NMFS on whether the “negative determination” is automatic for critical habitat designations. The Council requested that NMFS follow up with the Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) governments to provide specific reasons for not accepting the territorial objection of the NMFS negative determination on the Coastal Zone Management Act federal consistency provisions.

Council members from the CNMI, Guam and American Samoa continued to press NMFS regarding the pending critical habitat designation. In November 2020, NMFS proposed the designation of critical habitat in nearshore territorial waters. Critical habitat is habitat containing physical features essential to supporting recovery of ESA-listed species.

Territory resource agencies and governors have since voiced their dismay that such designations may impact the territory governments’ ability to manage coastal areas, which are often funded by or authorized by the federal government. Critical habitat designations add a layer of federal agency consultation to the federal project approval process.

Tomorrow the Council will discuss outcomes of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission annual meeting on tropical tuna management measures and proposed Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary updates, among other topics. Instructions on connecting to Webex, agendas and briefing documents are posted at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars.

The Council manages federal fisheries operating in waters offshore of the State of Hawai‘i, the Territories of American Samoa and Guam, the CNMI and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Areas.

 

Hawaii Fishermen Concerned Over Growing Chinese Presence

August 5, 2021 — Early morning in Honolulu, yellowfin, bigeye and other types of tuna, along with swordfish, are put up for auction after being offloaded from ships overnight. Longline boats, 145 of them, operate from this port, trailing kilometers-long baited lines. These vessels mostly fish in international waters at least 400 kilometers offshore, alongside boats from Taiwan, China, Japan and South Korea. Wholesale buyers compete for the catch in an early morning auction, and a single high-quality tuna can fetch from several hundred dollars to more than $1,000.

Confrontations are rare on the high seas near Hawaii, where the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is based and the U.S. Coast Guard maintains a strong presence.

But fisherman here have watched with concern as Chinese fishing vessels intimidate Philippine fisherman in waters that China claims in the South China Sea.

U.S. fishing vessels, on the other hand, face more scrutiny than the Chinese ships. They are closely monitored under U.S. domestic law, says Eric Kingma, executive director of the Hawaii Longline Association, which represents local fishermen.

“We have independent observer coverage levels of at least 20% in our tuna fishery, whereas China barely scratches (reaches) 5%. And we have a whole suite of environmental laws, statutes and regulations,” he said.

Read the full story at Voice of America

Hawaii’s Fishermen Are Worried About China’s Fleet. So Is The Military

May 17, 2021 — Hawaii’s commercial fishermen and the U.S. military have a potential threat in common — China’s fleet of government-subsidized ships that has been straying into more distant waters in search of seafood and more influence.

Local longliners have reported seeing increasing numbers of Chinese vessels near the islands, accusing them of overfishing and intimidating tactics.

Sometimes the ships are fishing, sometimes they’re making their way into the eastern Pacific and sometimes they’re seemingly just sitting at sea, says Eric Kingma, executive director of the Hawaii Longline Association.

He noted that a group of Chinese vessels seemed to be loitering north of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge last week. “What are they fishing for? I don’t know,” said Kingma. “But it’s an example of them being close to Hawaii and, we believe, getting closer.”

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat

Hawaii longliners seek temporary visas for foreign crew

February 12, 2021 — After two decades it’s far past time to make it easier for foreign fishermen who work in the Hawaii longline fleet, industry advocates say.

The lockdown after the September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., still reverberates in the U.S. Pacific pelagic fishery, with complicated entry rules and procedures for crew from Indonesia and the Philippines who make up the bulk of the fleet’s workforce.

“Prior to 9/11 our crewmen were allowed to fly into” Honolulu to board the fleet of some 140 longline vessels, said Eric Kingma, executive director of the Hawaii Longline Association.

“So it has been about 20 years now for our fleet not being able to fly our crew in,” he said. “This issue has been around for a while and we need to resolve it.”

During the covid-19 pandemic, the Hawaii fleet has been a vital lifeline for protein to the state’s population even while taking a huge hit in lost revenue. The state’s tourism economy is a scant 25 percent of its usual volume, and between March and July 2020 the longline fleet’s revenue was down 45 percent with the pandemic collapse in restaurant business, said Kingma.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

US seafood associations respond to human trafficking task force recommendations

February 9, 2021 — Commercial seafood organizations have begun responding to a U.S. Justice Department task force report on human trafficking in international waters.

The report, nearly three years in the making, included 27 recommendations for the federal government to eliminate loopholes or strengthen policies. Some of those recommendations include the need for congressional legislation. Among this is a recommendation to create a temporary worker visa program that would ban “recruitment fees” paid by workers on American vessels that fish in international waters but deliver products in U.S. ports.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Hawaii Longline Association Supports Federal Agency Recommendations Regarding Human Trafficking in the Seafood Supply Chain

February 4, 2021 — The following was released by the Hawaii Longline Association:

Human trafficking, including forced labor in fisheries and the seafood supply chain, has rightfully garnered attention in recent years. This unconscionable activity is not condoned by the Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) and other responsible fishing organizations, and has led to seafood industry-developed standards and social responsibility auditing mechanisms. Recent reports to U.S. Congress present government actions to further prevent and respond to such labor abuses including: 1) Department of Commerce and Department of State Report to Congress on Human Trafficking in the Seafood Supply Chain, Section 3563 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (P.L. 116-92) and 2) Federal Agency Task Force on Human Trafficking in Fishing in International Waters.

“The Hawaii Longline Association commends the work of federal agencies to address this important topic and supports many of the recommendations made in these reports,” said HLA Executive Director Eric Kingma.

Paramount among the recommendations covering domestic fisheries is the development of a temporary visa program for foreign fishing crews. “Providing foreign crews temporary work visas, as recommended in the Task Force report, is an important measure that would benefit foreign workers in our fishery, allowing them to go home and visit family and friends and then return to Hawaii via air travel in an efficient, humane manner,” Kingma said.

Currently, foreign fishermen employed in the fishery are ineligible to obtain a visa and thus are prohibited from flying into Honolulu. Rather, these fishermen must board their employer’s Hawaii-based longline vessel in a foreign port (e.g., Mexico or Canada) or U.S. Territory (e.g., American Samoa) and transit nearly two weeks to Honolulu to begin their legal employment, which is authorized under U.S. law (46 USC 8103(2)(b). However, despite being legally employed to fish on U.S. vessels fishing for highly migratory species in the U.S. EEZ and high seas, without visas they are required to stay within the Honolulu Harbor port area. The only exception to leave the port area is for medical visits or to depart from Honolulu International Airport with permission from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The majority of the 140 active longline vessels operating out of Honolulu Harbor have legally employed foreign crew for over 30 years. Like migrant farm and food processing workers employed across the nation, these skilled fishermen temporarily leave their countries to seek higher paying jobs in the United States, to support their families back home. Other U.S. tuna fleets that fish on the high seas also employ foreign crew, including U.S. distant water purse seine vessels, West Coast-based albacore vessels, and East Coast-based longline vessels. Hawaii longline crew are mainly from Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Pacific Island countries.

Read the full release here

Hawaii Fishing Fleet Is Changing Gear To Help Protect Endangered Sharks

December 7, 2020 — The Hawaii Longline Association announced this week it’s making key changes to its fleet’s fishing equipment to help the imperiled oceanic whitetip shark stave off extinction.

Specifically, by July, crews aboard the fleet’s 140 or so vessels plan to replace the steel wire fishing leaders at the ends of their fishing lines with ones made from less-lethal nylon, or monofilament, according to HLA Executive Director Eric Kingma.

The move should at least somewhat help the endangered and overfished sharks, local fishing officials and industry watchdogs say, because they can bite through the nylon more easily and free themselves when they’re inadvertently caught.

It’s a much-welcomed change to aid a species that was abundant in the central and western Pacific Ocean before commercial fishing and demand for shark fins decimated their numbers, ocean conservationists say.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat