Saving Seafood

Western Pacific Scientists Support Fishermen Input on Annual Reports, Gear Requirements to Protect Sharks

June 18, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The SSC supported inclusion of a new section on fishermen observations to the annual status of the fisheries regional and pelagic reports for American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Hawai‘i and the Pacific Remote Island Areas. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council discussed this and other issues during its three-day virtual meeting this week.

Fishermen contributions to the 2020 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports provided important input in light of COVID-19-related restrictions on data gathering, and real in-water experiences that cannot be replicated by federally funded science.

Bottomfish catch, effort and participation generally declined for all areas except for CNMI in 2020 relative to historical averages, with impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic likely being a contributing factor. In addition, there was a severe reduction in fishery-dependent sampling, especially in Guam, where nearly half of the scheduled creel catch interviews for the year were not conducted due to social distancing restrictions.

The Council produces the SAFE reports through contributions of data and analyses from local and federal partners. The reports give a snapshot of fishery performance and include oceanic and climate indicators, such as increasing sea surface temperature, which contributes to local mass mortality events for coral.

The SSC supported options for bigeye tuna longline catch and allocation limits for 2022 of either up to 3,000 metric tons (6.6 million pounds) or 6,000 metric tons (13.2 million pounds) total transfers for the U.S. Participating Territories of American Samoa, Guam and the CNMI. This recommendation is based on a 2020 assessment for the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) that indicated the bigeye tuna stock is healthy—not subject to overfishing or overfished.

In accordance with applicable laws, the Council may recommend a quota for each U.S. territory and may allow transfer of part of its quota through speci­fied fishing agreements. These agreements are negotiated once the U.S. quota (3,554 metric tons in 2020) is reached.

A new risk analysis from the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center found that a longline fishery gear change by the Hawai‘i deep-set fleet from wire to monofilament leaders would reduce the catch and mortality of oceanic whitetip sharks by about 30%. If a ban on wire leaders was implemented at the international level under regional fishery management organizations, it would reduce the species mortality by 35% across the region.

The SSC finds that the available scientific information provides support for prohibiting wire leaders in longline fisheries and requiring removal of trailing gear from accidentally hooked species like threatened oceanic whitetip sharks. The Council is considering a regulatory change to improve post-hooking survivorship of oceanic whitetip sharks that are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and is subject to overfishing and overfished in the WCPO. Science also provides support for removing as much trailing gear as possible, including the weighted swivel. The SSC recommended that the Council continue to work with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the fishing industry to research methods and practices to facilitate additional safety measures to prevent fly-back.

The SSC also recognized the importance of addressing fishery impacts to oceanic whitetip sharks at the international level due to the small relatively impact from U.S. longline fleets.

The SSC heard a presentation on a 2020 study that scored 95 U.S. fisheries with respect to bycatch using a “relative bycatch index.” Results from the analysis could potentially be used to facilitate management intervention strategies for particular fisheries or gear types, such as shrimp and otter trawls and several pelagic longline and gillnet fisheries, which had the poorest bycatch performance. These findings underscore the need for continued, high-quality, easily accessible bycatch information to better support fisheries management in the United States and globally. The Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery had a relatively high index value as compared to the shallow-set and American Samoa longline fisheries. However, the SSC noted that the study did not take into account regional differences in bycatch strategies and criteria weighting.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets June 22-24, 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.

Meet Joseph (Joey) Bennington-Castro, Science Writer

June 16, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

What are your key responsibilities?

I am the senior science writer at the NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office. As a science writer, I share stories about our conservation and management activities in as many formats as I am able. This runs the gamut from: a short article about the birth of a new monk seal to a Q&A about one of our partners to a feature story about a project we funded to help revitalize ancient Hawaiian loko iʻa (fishponds) to a StoryMap about a new type of coral nursery. I work with the rest of our wonderful communications team to develop and edit outreach products, and I help manage our Twitter and Facebook accounts. I am also a photographer and videographer. I have produced videos about the fishing culture of American Samoa, a project that uses sea urchins to clean up invasive algae, and the stranding of a young melon-headed whale, among others.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Waiʻanae, an underserved community on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.

What is your educational background?

I attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to study physics and astronomy in hopes of one day specializing in extrasolar planets. Upon earning my B.S. in physics and completing a couple of astronomy research projects, I realized that the life of a scientist (or at least that of an astronomer) wasn’t for me. What I really enjoyed was sharing and talking with people about science—this passion, along with my longtime love of writing, led me to the field of science journalism. I earned a certificate in professional writing from UHM, followed by an M.A. in journalism and an advanced certificate in science, health, and environmental reporting from New York University.

Is there a book, quote, or person that influenced you to be the person that you are today?

While growing up, I had strong female role models who shaped who I am today, particularly my mother and my eldest sister. They have both always been hard-working women who showed me through their words and actions how true strength comes from compassion, kindness, and generosity. I have also always taken to heart the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. I try to keep these ideals in mind not only during my interactions with other people, but also in the way I treat this planet—without which none of us would be here. I am far from perfect, and I fail more often than I like to admit. But I am grateful that I am able to look to these role models and find the motivation and inspiration to keep growing as a person.

Read the full release here

Scientists Support Combined Management Measures for Uku, Review Mitigation Tactics for False Killer Whales

June 16, 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 supported the combined management of the commercial and noncommercial sectors of the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) uku fishery. Commercial fishery data is submitted mandatorily through monthly reports. However, variabilities in the noncommercial data from the voluntary Hawai‘i Marine Recreational Fisheries Survey (estimated bi-monthly) raise uncertainties about the reliability of this system as a tool for in-season tracking against the annual catch limit. Improvements in data collection systems and establishing a proper management framework for sector allocation are required if the uku fishery is to be managed separately.

In September 2020, the SSC set the acceptable biological catch for uku at 297,624 pounds for fishing years 2022 to 2025. The MHI stock is not overfished or subject to overfishing.

The Committee noted that the decision whether to use sector allocation of the total annual catch target is purely a management action. A 2020 stock assessment from the Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center indicates that noncommercial fishers harvest smaller fish compared to commercial fishers due to fishing location and gear type differences. From a scientific standpoint, this justifies managing the uku fishery separately. The SSC chair suggested that the group conduct a risk analysis to determine if management measures should be different for the two sectors in the future.

A working group of the SSC highlighted their preliminary findings on alternative approaches to reduce impacts to false killer whales (FKWs) in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery. The draft issues paper reviews the history of the Pacific Islands Region FKW Take Reduction Team and their recommendations, past SSC recommendations, cetacean avoidance research and interaction reduction measures, among other topics.

The group suggested, for example, that mitigation strategies should focus on removing the trailing gear from an accidentally hooked FKW instead of using weak circle hooks, which to date have proved ineffective. Also, they noted 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. The working group will work with the full Committee to review the findings and associated recommendations.

The meeting continues through Thursday, June 17, 2021. Instructions on connecting to the web conference, agenda and briefing documents are posted at www.wpcouncil.org/event/140th-scientific-and-statistical-committee-virtual-meeting.

Pacific Scientists to Consider Snapper Catch Limits, Evaluate Gear Requirements in Longline Fisheries

June 11, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Scientists from throughout the Pacific will meet June 15 to 17, 2021, to provide advice on managing the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) uku fishery, longline fishery gear and release requirements, and other topics to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. The meeting of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) 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 www.wpcouncil.org/event/140th-scientific-and-statistical-committee-virtual-meeting. Among the agenda items are the following:

MHI Uku Catch Limits
At its September 2020 meeting, the SSC set the acceptable biological catch for uku (green/gray jobfish) at 297,624 pounds for fishing year 2022 to 2025. This corresponds to a 43% risk of overfishing when accounting for scientific uncertainties. The SSC may provide scientific advice on the appropriate level of management based on the ability to track the catch in-season. The commercial fishery data is from monthly mandatory fisher reports, while the noncommercial fishery data is estimated from voluntary surveys completed every two months. The SSC will consider if the uku fishery commercial and noncommercial sectors should be managed as a whole or separately.

Gear and Release Requirements for Longline Fisheries
Most vessels in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery use wire leaders in the terminal portion of the branchline between the hook and the weighted swivel to reduce the risk of crew injuries resulting from flyback. Wire leaders make it difficult to remove the terminal portion of the branch line from sharks or other protected species that cannot be brought onboard. Switching to monofilament nylon leaders would allow crew to remove gear closer to the hook and may facilitate a shark’s ability to break free by biting through the line. Tagging studies show that shorter trailing gear gives sharks a better chance of survival.

The Hawaii Longline Association announced at the December 2020 Council meeting that their member vessels will voluntarily eliminate the use of wire leaders by July 1, 2021, and use monofilament nylon leaders or other similar materials. The Council is considering a regulatory change to prohibit the use of wire leaders and to require removal of trailing gear to improve post-hooking survivorship of Endangered Species Act-listed oceanic whitetip sharks and other protected species. The SSC will discuss results from a risk analysis tool that the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) applied to several longline mitigation measures, including the transition to monofilament leaders, among others. The tool provides all possible outcomes of decisions taken and assesses the impact of risk, which allows managers to make better decisions under uncertainty. The SSC may provide additional scientific input to the Council to inform its decisions on the transition from wire leaders and removal of trailing gear.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets June 22-24, 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.

$210M federal award to fund UH research focused on how ecosystems are changing

June 10, 2021 — A small trap sits on the coral reef for four months, imprisoning tiny particles for environmental DNA analysis. These findings give researchers a snapshot in time of the microhabitats of our oceans, and in the long-term, a sense of how our ecosystems are changing.

This is just one of the many research projects developed by students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa through the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research — a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Last week, NOAA set plans to continue their 44-year-old partnership, awarding $210 million to the University of Hawaii — more than double the amount of previous funding. The money will go toward the next five years of research for NOAA’s new institute: the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research.

According to deputy director of NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Tia Brown, CIMAR “will help NOAA achieve our mission to better understand the ocean and atmosphere, which depends on all the research that we do … as well as the data and information to make sound decisions for healthy ecosystems, communities and a strong blue economy.”

In fiscal year 2022, CIMAR will continue the work of JIMAR while expanding to eight new research themes: ecological forecasting, ecosystem monitoring, ecosystem-based management, protection and restoration of resources, oceanographic monitoring and forecasting, climate science and impacts, air-sea interactions, and tsunamis and other long-period ocean waves.

Read the full story at Hawaii News Now

An Accountant Is The Latest To Be Charged In The Miske Case

June 8, 2021 — An accountant has been accused of conspiring with alleged racketeering kingpin Michael J. Miske Jr. to defraud the government by preparing and filing false tax returns, and aiding in bank fraud by advising the Honolulu business owner on false documents to prepare in order to deceive lenders in obtaining bank loans.

Miske and 10 co-defendants were named in a 22-count indictment in July 2020 that included a variety of offenses, ranging from drug trafficking and weapons offenses, to armed robbery, kidnapping and murder for hire.

The charges filed last week against Tricia Ann Castro, a certified public accountant, were the first to target a licensed professional alleged to have aided Miske in concealing his alleged criminal activities, which have become known as the “Miske Enterprise.”

Among the companies shifted into Delia-Ann’s name were Kamaaina Termite and Pest Control, which allegedly provided a home base for Miske’s criminal enterprise; Kamaaina Plumbing; Hawaii Partners LLC, which held title to the Boston Whaler, “Painkiller,” allegedly used in the 2016 kidnapping and murder of Jonathan Fraser, who had survived the accident that eventually took Caleb Miske’s life; and Kamaaina Holdings LLC, which owned and operated a longline fishing vessel for a decade before it was seized by the government, then sold earlier this year by court order.

Read thee full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat

WPRFMC 2021 Public Meetings Notice

June 7, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council announces the following public meetings on fisheries management in offshore waters of Hawai‘i (HI), American Samoa (AS), Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIAs). Unless otherwise noted, the meetings will be held by web conference. Host sites are subject to local and federal safety and health guidelines regarding COVID-19; check the Council website for updates. All times listed are local island times. For more information on the virtual meeting connection and complete agendas, go to www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars, email info@wpcouncil.org, fax (808) 522-8226 or phone (808) 522-8220.

AS Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Advisory Panel (AP)
June 8 (T) 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (SST)
Major agenda items: AS bottomfish update; Territory bigeye specifications; Gear and release amendment to improve shark survivorship in longline fisheries; 2020 annual Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports; and AP plans.

Non-Commercial Fisheries Advisory Committee
June 9 (W) 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Regional/national noncommercial fishing efforts and initiatives; 2020 annual SAFE reports; and Uku fishery monitoring and management.

Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
June 10 (Th) 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Offshore aquaculture management; HI offshore wind energy; Council action items; Mariana Archipelago shark depredation project; Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee seafood recommendations; and Endangered Species Act issues.

Mariana Archipelago FEP-Guam AP
June 10 (Th) 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (ChST)
Major agenda items: Guam bottomfish update; Territory bigeye specifications; 2020 annual SAFE reports; Shark depredation project update; AP plans; and Guam fishery issues and activities.

HI Archipelago FEP AP
June 11 (F) 9 a.m. to noon (HST)
Major agenda items: Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) deep-seven bottomfish annual catch limit (ACL) specification; Gear and release amendment to improve shark survivorship in longline fisheries; Tori line specifications for HI deep-set longline fishery; Offshore wind energy impacts on fisheries; 2020 annual SAFE reports; and AP plans.

Mariana Archipelago FEP-CNMI AP
June 12 (Sat) 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (ChST)
Major agenda items: Guam bottomfish update; Territory bigeye specifications; 2020 annual SAFE reports; Shark depredation project update; AP plans; and CNMI fishery issues and activities.

140th Scientific & Statistical Committee
Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/140SSCMtg. If prompted, password SSC140mtg.
June 15 – 17 (T – Th) 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Gear and release amendment to improve shark survivorship in longline fisheries (action item); 2022 U.S. territorial bigeye tuna catch and allocation limit (action item); Standardized bycatch reporting methodology review (action item); and 2020 annual SAFE reports.

Pelagic & International Standing Committee
June 21 (M) 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Gear and release amendment to improve shark survivorship in longline fisheries (action item); and 2022 and multi-year U.S. territorial bigeye tuna catch and allocation limits (action items).

Executive & Budget Standing Committee
June 21 (M) 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Financial and administrative matters; Council Coordination Committee meeting report; and Council family changes.

186th Council Meeting
Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/186CouncilMtg. If prompted, password CM186mtg.
Host sites: Tedi of Samoa Bldg., Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, AS
BRI Bldg., Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, CNMI
Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Drive, Hagatña, Guam
June 22 – 24 (T – Th) 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Gear and release amendment to improve shark survivorship in longline fisheries (action item); 2022 and multi-year U.S. territorial bigeye tuna catch and allocation limits (action items); AS and Guam bottomfish rebuilding plans (action items); AS marine conservation plan (action item); standardized bycatch reporting methodology review (action item); MHI deep-seven bottomfish ACLs for fishing years 2021-23 (action item); and 2020 annual SAFE reports.

Written comments on final action items on the 186th Council meeting agenda received by June 18, 2021, will be distributed to Council members prior to meeting. Direct comments to Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director, WPRFMC, and mail to 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813; fax to (808) 522-8226; or email to info@wpcouncil.org. Written comments on all other agenda items may be submitted for the record by email throughout the duration of the meeting.

Hawaii launches hotline to report ghost fishing nets

June 4, 2021 — Hawaii has a new hotline to report ghost fishing nets, derelict gear and other plastic debris that washes ashore across the Hawaiian archipelago.

In a statement Thursday, state officials announced the new hotline, which uses phrasing from the Hawaii Pidgin language in the number: 833-4-Da-Nets.

State wildlife officials partnered with environmental groups to create the hotline so people can report marine debris that can then be quickly removed.

As they drift throughout the ocean, ghost nets and other fishing line continue to catch fish, sometimes entangling Hawaii’s humpback whales, sea turtles, endangered Hawaiian monk seals and seabirds.

“The idea is to have people call in hazardous nets immediately,” Kristen Kelly of Hawaii’s Division of Aquatic Resources Protected Species Program said in the statement. “We can mount a rapid response to remove these nets from our shorelines as quickly as possible and before they drift back into the open ocean.”

Read the full story at the Associated Press

Meet Réka Domokos, Research Oceanographer

June 3, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

What is your key responsibility?  

I am part of the Ecosystem Sciences Division at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. I work in the Pelagic Research Program, tackling a lot of questions in the pelagic realm. Part of my work is with the Bigeye Initiative, which focuses on learning all we can about bigeye tuna so that we can predict how the environment affects bigeye tuna and how the fishery will do in the future with natural variability and climate change. This species is the most economically important commercial fish for the deep-set longline fishery here in Hawai‘i. There are five focus areas  in the initiative. I am the lead on the bigeye habitat module within the habitat and human dimensions focus. We look at what habitat they use, the ecosystem they are part of, how the environment is affecting tuna, and the oceanographic drivers of the movement and distribution of the fish. I am also the lead for a Center-wide sampling plan that incorporates everything we do in situ within the pelagic region. I am designing our in-situ sampling strategy for the next 5–15 years. I am also the active acoustician, investigating distribution, movement patterns, and abundance of organisms. In my personal research, I am currently looking at the effects of El Niño-Southern Oscillation on the equatorial Pacific tuna fisheries. I am also doing research that uses active acoustics to understand how the environment affects micronketon, which is prey for most of the economically important top predators, including bigeye tuna, as well as protected species.

Where did you grow up?  

I grew up in Budapest, Hungary.

What is your educational background?  

I used to work as a professional photographer and videographer back in Hungary. When I came to the United States, I was already interested in ethology (the study of animal behavior) and the ocean and decided to go back to school. I earned my undergraduate degree in coral reef fish behavior at UC Berkeley. Then, I came to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa for my graduate work and received a master’s in marine biology, focusing on coral reef fish behavior. It was during this time that I realized I was really drawn to physics and math so I earned a second master’s degree in physical oceanography then a Ph.D.

Are you a member of a notable community organization, church, or volunteer/mentorship program?  

I was very involved in trying to get marriage equality in Hawai‘i many years ago. We had our own group, which was later joined by a national organization Human Rights Campaign. They sent members out to help with campaigning that really helped lay some groundwork. I am also a member of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Is there a book, quote, or person that influenced you to be the person that you are today?  

Konrad Lorens, a famous Austrian ethologist back in the early 1900s. I was still a kid when I read his book on imprinting in geese—he proved the concept of imprinting—and it really sparked my interest in animal behavior. I did short films on animal behavior as a photographer. I became fascinated and really interested in ethology and animals in general, which started my science career.

What does PRIDE Month mean to you? 

It’s nice to have the recognition. It is not that being gay is really about being proud of it but rather, that it is nothing to be ashamed of. I just am who I am. I believe the visibility PRIDE brings is good for the LGBTQ community. The more visible we are, the more understanding there will be, which leads to greater acceptance. Once people know we are just people, they realize that there is not much difference between us.

What does being a career civil servant mean to you?

The least we can do as humans is to increase our collective knowledge of our environment, because knowledge is power. If we know and understand our natural world, we can help preserve it longer for many of the generations to come.

What advice would you have for today’s youth interested in a federal government career?  

I think the best advice I can give is to go with your heart. Whatever you are interested in, just follow that. Don’t think about how much you are going to make or that you might get stuck in a particular field of work. Yyou can always change as you go along—the most crucial thing is to just start learning. I think it’s very important to do something you enjoy. I am sure all jobs have some negative parts, but if you are genuinely interested in the work you do, you will end up happier than having a job just to earn money.

More Information

HAWAII: UH selected to host NOAA’s new institute for marine and atmospheric research

June 2, 2021 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has selected the University of Hawai’i to host its new institute for marine and atmospheric research.

UH will receive up to $210 million over five years to conduct a wide range of environmental research, from studying the vog coming out of Kilauea to fishing activity to coral reefs.

“It’s almost all for the benefit of the local people, us, and those of us living on these islands, so we better know the environment, we can understand it, and we can prepare for changes that are coming and protect the environment,” said Doug Luther, Director of UH Manoa Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research.

Read the full story at KITV