Saving Seafood

HAWAII: City details food assistance efforts amid coronavirus pandemic

December 17, 2020 — The City launched a slew of programs this year with aims to help Oahu families and individuals struggling to access food during the pandemic.

Programs included “Farm to Food,” which offered free meals from farmers to residents in need. A similar program called “Fish to Dish” extended support to Hawaii’s fishing industry while also distributing fresh fish to communities across Oahu.

Other programs included 20 free food distribution events and 127 smaller food pop-up events. The City has also partnered with the Hawaii Longline Association, the Honolulu Fish Auction, the Hawaii Seafood Council and the Hawaii FoodBank to help feed people in need.

Read the full story at KHON

Western Pacific Council Supports Longliners’ Request to Test Bird Scaring Lines

December 8, 2020 — The Hawaii Longline Association is continuing its efforts to be proactive at mitigating or avoiding effects to threatened or endangered species. In this case, seabirds.

The Association requested an experimental fishing permit for the deep-set longline fishery to test tori line efficacy without the use of blue-dyed bait when fishing north of 23° N. latitude when the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council met last week. The Council endorsed the application and recommended the National Marine Fisheries Service issue the permit as soon as possible. If approved, the permit would be the first of its kind issued in the Western Pacific Region and field trials could start in early 2021, the Council said in a press release.

Read the full story at Seafood News

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

Western Pacific Council Supports Hawaiʻi Industry Request to Test Bird Scaring Lines as Seabird Interaction Mitigation Measure

December 4, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Hawaii Longline Association has requested an experimental fishing permit for the deep-set longline fishery to test tori line efficacy without the use of blue-dyed bait when fishing north of 23° N. The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council today in Honolulu endorsed the application and recommended that National Marine Fisheries Service issue the permit as soon as possible. If approved, the permit would be the first of its kind issued in the Western Pacific Region and field trials could start in early 2021.

Tori, or bird scaring, lines have been internationally recognized as an effective seabird mitigation measure, while data show using blue-dyed bait is less effective than alternative measures. The food-grade blue dye has also become increasingly difficult to source. The Council recommended developing a regulatory amendment to the Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan to evaluate options for allowing the use of tori lines in lieu of blue-dyed bait. The results from the tori line study will inform the development of the regulatory amendment.

“I support these efforts to improve and streamline conservation measures in the fleet,” said Council member Roger Dang, owner of longline vessels and Fresh Island Fish of Hawai‘i. “The small Hawaiʻi fleet has minimal impact on seabird populations, but has many more regulatory requirements than foreign fleets on the high seas. Any changes to streamline these requirements will help us and make sense for the fleet,” he noted.

Action on specifying the annual catch limit (ACL) and the rebuilding plan for the American Samoa bottomfish fishery was deferred. The stock is overfished and subject to overfishing. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires the Council to take action to end overfishing immediately and rebuild overfished stock within 10 years. In the past quarter, four fishermen landed a total of 665 pounds of bottomfish.

Deferring action allows the Council to support the American Samoa government in finalizing its territorial bottomfish fishery management plan. With 85% of bottomfish habitat located within territorial waters, it is essential that local and federal governments work together to manage the fishery. Henry Sesepasara, director of the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, recommended the Council postpone action. “We are in the process of providing feedback to the draft plan and will be completing it by January 2021,” he said.

The Council requested NMFS to extend the American Samoa interim catch limit of 13,000 pounds of bottomfish for an additional 185 days from the expiry date of May 17, 2021, while the Council finalizes conservation and management measures to end overfishing in the fishery. A new stock assessment is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

The Council meeting concludes tomorrow by web conference (Webex). Instructions on connecting to Webex, agendas and briefing documents are posted at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars.

Hawaii longliners will convert to mono leaders

December 2, 2020 — Longline fishermen based in Hawaii will voluntarily switch to using monofilament leaders on their gear to promote shark conservation, the Hawaii Longline Association announced this week.

Based at Honolulu Harbor, the fleet of about 140 active vessels produces 90 percent of U.S. bigeye tuna and 50 percent of its swordfish and was sixth in landed value among U.S. ports with $100 million in 2018. The longline fishery is closely monitored and uses a suite of mitigation tools to reduce interactions with protected species.

That includes a 45-gram minimum weight on baited lines so they sink quickly and out of depths where seabirds forage and use of circle hooks to reduce interactions with sea turtles and false killer whales. But sharks are still more likely to be caught by circle hooks, according to the association.

“Hawaii longline vessels don’t retain sharks and most are released alive, but since most sharks are unable to bite through a wire leader, some sharks die on the line,” the group explained in a statement. “Unfortunately, this includes oceanic whitetip sharks, which are now listed as ‘threatened’ under the Endangered Species Act.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Scientists Set Acceptable Biological Catch for American Samoa Bottomfish, Recommend Rebuilding Plans for American Samoa and Guam Bottomfish

December 2, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council concluded its two-day virtual meeting today. Key outcomes addressed the American Samoa and Guam bottomfish fisheries and measures to mitigate incidental interactions of the Hawai‘i longline fishery with protected species.

American Samoa Bottomfish

To address overfishing in the American Samoa bottomfish fishery, the SSC recommended a phased-in acceptable biological catch (ABC) of 5,000 pounds in fishing year 2021 and 2000 pounds in fishing year 2022. This option provides a gradual reduction in the ABC and allows limited access to offshore banks to access culturally important deep-water snappers.

To rebuild the overfished American Samoa bottomfish stock within the next 10 years per the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), the SSC supports an annual catch limit (ACL) of 1,500 pounds. An in-season accountability measure will be implemented to track the catch relative to the ACL. Federal waters will close to bottomfishing when the ACL is projected to be reached.

SSC members discussed the practicality of enforcing fishing regulations between territorial and federal waters. The distribution of bottomfish using a habitat proxy showed 85% is found in territorial waters. The reduction of catch through this federal action only constitutes a minute portion of the total catch, but a significant proportion of the deep-water bottomfish species found on the offshore banks.

The SSC expressed concerns regarding the data-limited nature of these fisheries that hampers their accurate representation and the ability to properly manage them. The COVID-19 pandemic affected implementing the data collection programs. The SSC noted that if there is no new data to support the new benchmark assessment aside from changing the modeling approach, then the fishery may still end up with the same stock status.

The SSC reiterated its recommendation that the next benchmark bottomfish stock assessment in 2023 analyze the deep-water complex separately from the shallow-water complex. The SSC also recommended that the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center conduct a data workshop with the American Samoa bottomfish fishermen, local fishery agency and other interested parties to discuss the data and model assumptions that will be used in the next assessment.

To rebuild the overfished Guam bottomfish stock, the SSC supports either an ACL of 27,000 pounds, rebuilding the stock in four years, or an ACL of 31,000 pounds, rebuilding in six years. Both options include an in-season accountability measure and mitigate short-term impacts to the fishery by allowing moderate catch levels, while still rebuilding the stock within 10 years.

The SSC also supported an experimental fishing permit application submitted by the Hawaii Longline Association to test tori line efficacy without the use of blue-dyed bait when fishing north of 23 °N. Field trials of tori lines conducted in 2019 indicate albatrosses are at least 2 times less likely to interact with longline gear or bait when the bird scaring lines are used in conjunction with the required blue-dyed bait. Data from the Hawaiʻi longline fishery have shown that blue-dyed bait is less effective than side-setting, another seabird mitigation measure required in the fishery.

The permit would allow additional at-sea trials by providing an exemption to the existing seabird mitigation measures under the Council’s Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan requiring the Hawaiʻi deep-set longline fishery use blue-dyed bait when stern-setting in this region. The study will inform the Council’s discussion on modifying seabird mitigation measures in the longline fishery.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets Dec. 2-4, 2020, virtually with host sites at BRI Building, Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI); and Tedi of Samoa Building, Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, American Samoa. Instructions on connecting to the web conference, agendas and briefing documents are posted at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars. Host sites are subject to local and federal safety and health guidelines regarding COVID-19; check the Council website for updates.

Scientists Recommend Improved Mitigation Measures for Protected Species

December 1, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Scientists overwhelmingly supported a proposal from the Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) to voluntarily switch to monofilament leaders to promote protected species conservation. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council expressed this support on the first day of its two-day virtual meeting.

The Hawaiʻi longline fishery uses wire leaders to prevent gear flyback, an unintended consequence of using required weighted branch lines. While many protected species are released alive, long trailing gear impacts their survival. Changing to monofilament nylon from wire leaders allows the crew to remove most of the trailing gear.

The SSC heard a proactive proposal from the HLA that provides significant positive impacts on survival probabilities of oceanic whitetip sharks, leatherback turtles and other protected species. The gear changes, combined with handling procedure improvements, crew training and research, demonstrate the industry’s leadership to minimize protected species interactions.

The SSC recommended that the Council consider measures in the HLA proposal for further development under the Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Council action at a future meeting. During public comment, Dave Gershman from The Ocean Foundation praised the HLA proposal and urged the SSC to support the initiative and pursue research to promote species recovery.

The SSC also recommended a phased-in approach to minimize impacts of U.S. fishing on North Pacific striped marlin through reduced catch limits. The approach is to establish a catch limit through 2024 using best scientific information available (BSIA) to attribute a portion from a total allowable catch (from all fleets) that would end overfishing in the first year. Despite having a 6% contribution to the historical depletion of the stock, the United States is taking unilateral action towards ending overfishing by fulfilling its Magnuson-Stevens Act (Section 304(i)) obligation.

Instructions on connecting to the web conference, agenda and briefing documents are posted at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars. To read the full HLA proposal, visit https://bit.ly/3ocuOwU.

Hawaii Longline Vessels to Improve Shark Conservation with Gear Change

November 30, 2020 — The following was released by the Hawaii Longline Association:

Hawaii-based longline vessels will voluntarily switch to monofilament leaders to promote shark conservation, the Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) has announced.

The Hawaii longline fishery is among the most comprehensively managed in the world. With around 140 active vessels based out of Honolulu Harbor, the fleet is highly monitored and subject to a suite of leading protected species mitigation measures. These measures include requiring 45-gram minimum weights so that hooks will sink quickly out of seabird foraging depths, as well as the use of a type of “circle” hook that reduces the severity of interactions with sea turtles and false killer whales.

Although beneficial for sea turtles and false killer whales, sharks are more likely to be caught by the circle hooks. Hawaii longline vessels don’t retain sharks and most are released alive, but since most sharks are unable to bite through a wire leader, some sharks die on the line. Unfortunately, this includes oceanic whitetip sharks, which are now listed as “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.

Switching to monofilament leader material will allow sharks to bite through the line just above the hook, thus reducing the severity of the interaction that otherwise would occur using wire leaders. Monofilament leaders will also facilitate releasing sharks and other animals, as the material is much easier to cut than wire. Crew safety remains paramount, and the transition to monofilament leaders will be phased to ensure safety. However, the Hawaii Longline Association is setting July 1, 2021 as the target for the fleetwide conversion.

“This is an industry-led initiative to promote shark conservation and another example of the Hawaii longline fleet as a global leader in responsible fishing practices,” says HLA Executive Director Eric Kingma, PhD.

Read the full release here

Western Pacific Council Considers Changes to Small Boat Fisheries Sector in September

September 2, 2020 — A virtual Fishers Forum in Hawaii started the conversation — and a mandatory five-year review — of Hawaii’s small-boat fisheries management last week. The subject of possibly opening areas around Hawaii prohibited to longline fishing did not sit well.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council proposed a discussion of opening the areas and also options of mandatory permitting and reporting in the nearshore areas. The longline closure area around the main Hawaiian islands that extends up to 75 miles offshore may no longer be necessary and the Council wanted to hear what fishermen thought.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Wespac Reconsiders Rule That Keeps Longliners From Fishing Near Hawaii’s Shores

August 31, 2020 — Hawaii’s commercial fishing industry leaders are weighing whether to uphold the boundary that prohibits longline vessels from fishing within 50 miles of the main islands’ shores, a review that has some small-boat fishermen nervous.

Several of those operators, who fish closer to shore, pushed back against lifting the so-called “Longliner Exclusion Zone” during a virtual “Fishers Forum” held last week by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

The zone has been in place for nearly 30 years and extends to 75 miles in some places. A Wespac flyer for the event solicited public input on whether it’s still needed.

That got the attention of local fishermen such as Chris Freed. “Why is this even happening?” the Oahu fisherman said during his testimony. Freed and other fishermen said they’d actually like to see the 50- to 75-mile boundary for longliners extended even farther.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat