Saving Seafood

US Pacific Fishery Managers Set Uku Catch Limits in Hawai‘i, Support Exploring Cultural Take of Green Sea Turtles

September 21, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implement a 291,010-pound annual catch target for uku in the main Hawaiian Islands. This would include an in-season accountability measure to avoid surpassing this level for fishing years 2022 to 2025. The previous catch limit, effective from 2019 to 2021, was nearly half the amount at 127,205 pounds, but only applied to commercial fishers, whereas the new limit combines the commercial and noncommercial sectors.

The Council also heard a report on honu (green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas) management in Hawai‘i, noting continued requests from the fishing community to allow harvest for cultural purposes. Council members supported developing a way forward with NMFS. Manny Dueñas, Council member from Guam, expressed deep concern at the erosion of respect for indigenous cultures in our region, where turtles have been valued for medicine, food and sustenance for more than 4,000 years. The Council will work with communities to document the history of cultural harvest and use of honu in Hawai‘i.

The Council deferred taking final action on the rebuilding plan for the federally managed bottomfish complex in American Samoa, and will organize an intercessional meeting for the week of Oct. 18, 2021. Several Council members expressed their dismay at the low catch limit alternatives and the potential fishery closure. Archie Soliai, Council chair and director of the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources said the extra time would allow him time to consult with the governor on the coordinated management of the bottomfish fishery in territorial and federal waters.

“We carefully balance the economic development aspirations with sustainable management of the bottomfish resource based on available scientific information,” Soliai said. The territory is working with local communities to develop a Territorial Bottomfish Fishery Management Plan that is in line with Fa’a Samoa, the Samoan identity and way of living.

“Fishing is how we keep in touch with Fa’a Samoa…our God-given right and our way of feeding our communities,” noted Howard Dunham, Council member from American Samoa and president of the American Samoa Alia Fishing Association. “We need to revive our alia fleet instead of further marginalizing a small underserved fishing community. Some alia still use wooden reels because modern reels are expensive.” The territory has a population of approximately 58,000 people, with more than 54% living in poverty.

The Council requested that the NMFS Stock Assessment Program separate the shallow- and deepwater-bottomfish into separate stock complexes in its next assessment. The Council also requested that the data workshop sharing information with the American Samoa fishing communities currently planned for November 2021 be held in-person.

For meeting agenda and briefing materials, visit www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars.

 

Western Pacific Fishery Managers Recommend Improved Seabird Conservation Measures

September 23, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended modifications to a regulatory amendment as an initial action to improve seabird conservation in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery.

A recent tori line study showed that the streamer lines are significantly more effective than blue-dyed fish bait to deter seabirds like Laysan and black-footed albatross from interacting with longline gear. The Council supported using tori lines instead of blue-dyed bait, which is currently required as a seabird interaction mitigation measure implemented under the Council’s Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan. The Council will consider a full analysis to make a final decision at its December 2021 meeting.

In addition, the Council recommended removing strategic offal (fish waste) discards from the regulatory requirement. Discharging offal and spent bait in the ocean away from where fishing gear is set may distract birds in the short-term, but may also increase seabird attraction to fishing vessels over time. The Council also recommended best practices training on offal management be added to the required annual protected species workshop for Hawai‘i commercial fishermen.

“We support this change since blue dye is messy and not always effective,” said Hawaii Longline Association Executive Director Eric Kingma. “Tori lines are extensively used around the world, including fisheries in Alaska, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. They are practical, easy to use and not expensive.”

The Hawai‘i longline fishery has been using seabird conservation measures for more than 20 years and pioneered many of the mitigation measures used internationally in pelagic fisheries.

The Council started discussion today on the American Samoa bottomfish rebuilding plan and will take a final decision tomorrow on the last day of the quarterly meeting. The Council will also decide annual catch limits for the main Hawaiian Islands uku fishery. 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 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Areas.

US Pacific Fishery Managers Support Climate Change Research to Inform Management Decisions

September 22, 2021 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council voted today to approve several plans aimed at improving research and data in the region. The Council’s work relies on robust scientific information for its fishery management decisions. The Council and its advisors developed research priorities with the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, setting the direction for the future.

Climate change is a high priority, in line with the Biden Administration’s efforts to mitigate the impacts and enhance fisheries resilience. Addressing the shift in distribution of stocks and fishing effort due to changes in oceanographic features is a good example.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee Three-Year Plan focused its priorities on science that directly supports fishery management. A major focus is helping fishing communities to understand the value of data for fishery sustainability.

The Council’s five-year regional research plan is mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The plan covers research priorities for pelagic and island fisheries, protected species, human communities, cooperative research and management strategy evaluation.

The Council also endorsed the Fishery Data Collection and Research Committee’s strategic plan for 2022 to 2026. The overarching goals of the plan are to:

  • Build local agency capacity to improve fishery-dependent data collection.
  • Provide non-peer-reviewed reports and unpublished datasets.
  • Conduct science and research to support ecosystem-based fishery management.

The Council concluded the first day of its three-day virtual meeting today. The meeting continues tomorrow with decisions on the American Samoa bottomfish rebuilding plan and initial action on seabird mitigation in the Hawai‘i longline fishery. 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 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Areas.

 

Pacific Fishery Scientists Recommend Ways to Better Manage False Killer Whale Impacts

September 20, 2021 — 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 adopted recommendations to improve the management of impacts to false killer whales (FKWs) in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery. The issues paper from an SSC working group reviewed cetacean avoidance research and interaction reduction measures, and risk assessment methods used to evaluate the population-level impacts of fishery interactions.

The paper, endorsed by the SSC, raises concerns about the serious lack of fundamental population demographic information needed to support evidence-based policy guidance on the issue. The current risk assessment framework used to evaluate the potential impacts of FKW bycatch in the U.S.-based pelagic longline fishery is based on a concept called the potential biological removal (PBR), which is required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). At its June 2021 meeting, the SSC acknowledged the PBR approach does not account explicitly for the present assumption that long-term consequences exist for FKW populations exposed to anthropogenic hazards such as pelagic longline gear. The working group found that available scientific data do not strongly support this assumption.

The SSC’s recommendations highlighted several approaches to address the current deficiencies in the risk assessments. This includes implementing a conceptual framework called “population consequences of disturbance” comprised of a four-level sequence, ranging from observed changes in individual behavior to population-level effects like impaired reproductive, survival or population growth rates. Another recommendation noted the need for a risk assessment model based on population dynamics to assess the applicability of PBR for bycatch management.

Also, the group recommended that a post-release study on FKWs should be conducted using satellite tags or other technology to assess mortality rates and sublethal effects of capture and release. Currently, there is not enough demographic information, such as survival rates at different ages and reproductive rates, to do a population assessment or diagnose trends for FKWs. Additionally, the lack of post-release survival data has led to the assumption that most FKWs observed in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery are not likely to survive, even though most individuals are released alive.

“The underlying theme to all of these recommendations is that fishery impacts on FKWs to date have been seemingly small and infrequent,” said SSC Chair Jim Lynch, who presented the report. “Take reduction measures imposed should balance the biological and economic impacts.”

FKWs are incidentally hooked in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery, which primarily targets bigeye tuna. Under the FKW Take Reduction Plan, fishermen are required to use hooks of a certain diameter intended to straighten and release the animals. However, this “weak hook” measure, among other requirements, has not been successful in achieving the conservation goals required under the MMPA. The Take Reduction Team, which includes members from academia, conservation groups, fishing industry, government and fishery management organizations, was not able to reach consensus on measures to revise the existing Plan after nearly three years of deliberations. In light of this situation, the SSC formed the working group to inform the future direction of this issue for the Council, which holds a seat on the Team.

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Regarding seabird conservation in the Hawai‘i longline fishery, the SSC recommended that tori lines should replace blue-dyed fish bait as a required bycatch mitigation measure. Scientists endorsed the findings from the tori line experimental fishing permit study that showed the streamers are significantly more effective than colored bait at reducing fishery interactions with seabirds like Laysan and black-footed albatross.

The Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources (HDAR) summarized data for the SSC from four reopened bottomfish restricted fishing areas, or BRFAs. Data quality and quantity were concerns, creating challenges to interpreting effort and landings in evaluating the effects of BRFA opening. The SSC reiterated its recommendation since 2013 to eliminate all BRFAs in federal waters, due to the change in stock status since their establishment and because their management utility has been superseded by annual catch limits. The SSC also recommends HDAR continue to improve fishery-dependent data collection through better fisher engagement to effectively manage the bottomfish fishery.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets Sept. 21-23, 2021, virtually with host sites at Tedi of Samoa Building, Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, American Samoa; BRI Building, Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI); and Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Dr., Hagatña, Guam.

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 to Evaluate Impacts of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Expansion

September 16, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) suggested developing a working group to evaluate the impacts of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) expansion on Hawai‘i-based fisheries. Several recently published peer-review scientific papers show differing impacts and are unclear on this contentious issue.

In 2016, President Obama issued a proclamation to expand the existing monument from 50 to 200 nautical miles around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Council and Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) staffs and the SSC would work jointly to examine the expansion’s potential local economic and other impacts, and determine whether the area is achieving its stated management objectives. The working group would share its results with the eight Regional Fishery Management Councils that are providing feedback on President Biden’s 30×30 area-based management initiative.

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is in the initial stages of responding to the president’s request to initiate a new designation process for a NWHI sanctuary. As part of this process, the Council is afforded the opportunity to provide input on any potential fishing regulations. The National Marine Sanctuaries Act designation process requires compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other applicable laws. This was circumvented by the presidential proclamations to create the PMNM in 2006 and the expanded area in 2016, which effectively cut out the local community’s engagement and input on the matter.

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PIFSC presented a research plan to the SSC on investigating the impact of imports on the Hawai‘i fish market. Recently, the price of bigeye ahi exceeded $20 per pound at the market—several times more than what buyers usually pay. Prices then stayed around $11–12 per pound and cooled off to $7–8 per pound during the second week in August.

The Hawai‘i market had an extreme shortage of foreign-sourced pelagic fish products and an overall decreased supply in the local market—mainly from local Hawaiian fisheries. The supply shortage, coupled with the increase in tourism after COVID-19 restrictions were partially lifted, created a “perfect storm” for the consumer.

The SSC suggested that consumer choice and fish substitution be incorporated into PIFSC’s model to attempt to discern the true value difference between fish species. Fish originating from different locations outside of Hawai‘i are not equivalent in terms of quality or type of fish. PIFSC anticipates the final report will be available for review in August 2022.

The SSC meeting continues through tomorrow, Sept. 16, 2021. Instructions on connecting to the web conference, agenda and briefing documents are posted at www.wpcouncil.org/event/141st-scientific-and-statistical-committee-virtual-meeting.

 

Western Pacific Fishery Council Advisors to Evaluate Seabird Conservation Measures

September 10, 2021 — Scientists will meet Sept. 14 to 16, 2021, to provide advice and comments to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council on domestic seabird conservation measures, Hawai‘i area-based management efforts, proposed changes to the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other topics. The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) meeting will be held virtually and is open to the public. The full agenda, background documents and instructions for connecting to the meeting and providing oral public comments are available at https://www.wpcouncil.org/event/141st-scientific-and-statistical-committee-virtual-meeting. Among the agenda items are the following:

Potential Revisions for Seabird Conservation Measures

The Council is evaluating using tori lines, or bird scaring lines, as part of a suite of mitigation measures that help the Hawai‘i longline fishery avoid hooking seabirds. Two field trials to develop and test tori lines in the deep-set longline fishery were conducted in 2019-2021 under a cooperative research project between the Council, Hawaii Longline Association and National Marine Fisheries Service. The studies show that tori lines are significantly more effective in preventing longline gear interactions with black-footed and Laysan albatrosses than an existing method of using blue-dyed bait. The SSC will review results from the latest study completed during summer 2021 and may provide advice to the Council on the management action to modify the current conservation measures.

Report on Recently Opened Hawai‘i Bottomfish Restricted Fishing Areas

The Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) will present an interim report of data from fishermen who fished in the four reopened areas—Kaua‘i (BRFA C), Penguin Bank (BRFA F), Maui (BRFA J) and Hawai‘i (BRFA L). The Hawai‘i Board of Land and Natural Resources recommended that DAR monitor the fishery performance in these areas and report back in January 2022. The SSC may provide recommendations to improve the preliminary analysis to support DAR in their report and comment on the utility (or lack thereof) of retaining the BRFAs.

Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization Amendments

Two comprehensive bills were recently introduced in the Congress that would amend the MSA. The SSC may comment on several provisions that would affect the committee. These include coordinating with NOAA on multi-year research priorities that should address climate change impacts on fisheries and on forage fish populations and distribution, and the requirement to have an audio/video recording or written transcript of the SSC meeting. The SSC may also provide advice on individual provisions on fish stock status, maintaining the abundance and diversity of forage fish and criteria for determining whether a stock is depleted.

The SSC will also hear a review of impacts from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument expansion and may discuss alternative area-based management actions.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets Sept. 21-23, 2021, virtually with host sites at Tedi of Samoa Building, Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, American Samoa; BRI Building, Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI); and Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Dr., Hagatña, Guam. 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.

 

HAWAII: UH Sea Grant shares in award to address marine debris, protect wildlife

August 31, 2021 — To address the devastating impacts of marine debris in the coastal environment, one of the leading causes of injury and death for sea turtles, seabirds and Hawaiian monk seals, the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) and Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response (HMAR), the largest Hawaiʻi-based marine species response and conservation nonprofit organization, received $50,000 from NOAA Sea Grant and the NOAA Marine Debris Program. This grant is matched by $50,000 from non-federal sources.

The funding is one of six new, creative projects to tackle marine debris challenges across the country awarded to Sea Grant programs in Hawaiʻi, Florida, Georgia, Illinois-Indiana, Puerto Rico and Wisconsin. These marine debris projects total $300,000 in federal funding and are matched by non-federal contributions, bringing the total investment to approximately $600,000.

“By preventing marine debris, we can reduce the impacts of this global problem,” stated NOAA Marine Debris Program Director Nancy Wallace. “We are pleased to partner with NOAA Sea Grant to provide support for projects that will help stop trash and fishing gear at their source.”

Read the full story at University of Hawaii News

Surfrider Foundation launches project to reduce plastic pollution and protect Hawaiian monk seals

August 31, 2021 — The Surfrider Foundation’s Hawaii chapters are launching the North Pacific Hagfish Trap Project to reduce the number of hagfish traps washing up on the coastlines of Hawaii.

Hagfish traps are used to catch a primitive, eel-like animal known as “slime eels” or “hagfish.” The animals are sold almost exclusively to Korean markets for food or use in “eel skin” products such as wallets and boots.

Lost and discarded fishing gear is a primary contributor to plastic pollution on Hawaii beaches and poses a major threat to marine and coastal ecosystems. Yet given its international scope, large geographical range, and difficulties in tracing the source of gear, derelict fishing gear remains a challenging problem. Hagfish traps represent one of the many types of commercial fishing gear that pollute Hawaii coastlines.

In the last twenty years, 13 seal pups and one yearling have been found entangled by hagfish traps in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Read the full story at KITV

House Democrats Agree to $100 Million Allocation for Critically Endangered Species

August 31, 2021 — In a memo released by the House Natural Resources Committee, House Democrats will provide $550 million to the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the upcoming budget reconciliation package, including $100 million for some of the most critically imperiled species in the United States.

The legislation will include $25 million to conserve and restore four of the most imperiled types of endangered species in the United States: butterflies, eastern freshwater mussels, Southwest desert fish and Hawaiian plants.

“This is the largest investment in the recovery of endangered species in a generation, and I couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “If we’re going to tackle the extinction crisis and save these incredible species from the brink, this is exactly the type of bold action that’s needed.”

The reconciliation language mirrors Chairman Raúl Grijalva’s Extinction Prevention Act of 2021, which would fund on-the-ground conservation actions to stabilize the four groups of struggling endangered species.

A 2016 study found that Congress only provides approximately 3.5% of the estimated funding the Fish and Wildlife Service’s scientists say is needed to recover species. Roughly 1 in 4 species receives less than $10,000 a year toward recovery, and many of the endangered species that will benefit from this funding receive nothing for recovery in a given year.

Read the full story at Maui News

HAWAII: Marine debris team joins the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project to remove fishing nets from coral reefs

August 30, 2021 — NOAA and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project partner to remove derelict fishing nets from coral reefs across the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

Scientists and divers from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center are teaming up with divers from the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project for a 30-day mission to remove marine debris from the islands and atolls within the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

The team departed Honolulu on the M/V Imua on Tuesday. We expect the ship to return with more than 110,000 pounds of derelict fishing gear and other marine debris at the end of September.

The 2021 marine debris removal mission will focus on surveying for and removing marine debris from coral reefs and coastal environments. They will be working on Kamole (Laysan Island), Kamokuokamohoali‘i (Maro Reef), Kapou (Lisianski Island), Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll), Holaniku (Kure Atoll), and Manawai (Pearl and Hermes Atoll).

Read the full story at KITV