Saving Seafood

WPRFMC asks Trump to allow commercial fishing in Papahānaumokuākea

June 30, 2025 — Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to allow commercial fishing in parts of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC) has asked the president to do the same for the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary.

Comprising several islands and atolls, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument was first established in 2006, and commercial fishing was banned within the monument in 2010. The monument was later expanded by former U.S. President Barack Obama to 582,578 square miles in size, making it the nation’s largest marine protected area.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

HAWAII: Measure to protect Hawaii fishing industry one of five food and farm bills signed Friday

June 30, 2025 — Retailers selling ahi sashimi, poke and sushi in Hawaii now have a year to label the origin of yellowfin and bigeye tuna in those products so consumers know if they are buying locally caught fish.

Gov. Josh Green on Friday signed a bill imposing the labeling requirement, which takes effect July 1, 2026.

House Bill 534, now Act 238, was one of five bills Green signed Friday pertaining to food, agriculture and biosecurity.

“The health and resiliency of our agricultural lands and producers are not just vital—they are the very foundation of Hawaii’s well-being and future, ” Green said in a statement.

Hawaii fishing industry advocates say most of the raw ahi in sashimi, poke and sushi sold at stores in Hawaii is imported, and that retailers don’t have to disclose where the fish is from due to a loophole in federal seafood labeling law.

Imported ahi in such products currently sold in Hawaii is often labeled “previously frozen ” and priced far less than local ahi labeled as “fresh.” Imported ahi also is often treated with carbon monoxide gas to maintain the color and appearance of fresh ahi.

A year from now, disclosing the country from which the fish originates also will be required on labels.

Read the full article at The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

HAWAII: Governor signs measures aimed at protecting agriculture in Hawaii

June 30, 2025 — A pilot program to fight agriculture-related crimes in Hawaii will go into effect July 1 on the Big Island and Oahu.

The program within the state Department of Law Enforcement is intended to strengthen laws relating to agriculture theft — including cattle rustling — plus trespassing and hunting without permission on private ag land.

The law, which goes into effect July 1, 2026, was introduced by Rep. Tyson Miyake, a Maui Democrat and majority whip, with Kahaloa and fellow Big Island Reps. Nicole Lowen and David Tarnas signing on as co-sponsors.

According to Eric Kingma, executive director of the Hawaii Longline Association, the local market for fresh ahi poke sold at retail largely has been replaced by foreign-caught, gas-treated tuna imported from Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Indonesia and other countries. He added the new law “should help Hawaii’s commercial tuna fishermen statewide.”

“This bill will hopefully drive consumer demand for more fresh Hawaii-landed ahi poke at retail because they will see that the previously frozen, gas-treated tuna is not from Hawaii,” Kingma said.

Read the full article at the Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Clues From the Catch: How Small Samples Lead to Big Fish Insights

June 27, 2025 — When fish biologist Eva Schemmel gets an early morning phone call from the Honolulu Fish Auction, it means something exciting has landed at Pier 38, the center of Hawai‘i’s commercial fishing village.

Recently, it was a record-sized gindai.

Weighing in at 4.95 pounds, the deepwater snapper may not look like a trophy fish to some (especially next to 100–200 pound tunas!). But it’s worth much more than its weight thanks to a collaboration between fishermen and NOAA life history scientists.

Understanding Fish Populations

Schemmel is part of a NOAA Fisheries team that studies the life history of fish species across the Pacific Islands—how they grow, reproduce, and die. These “fish detectives” collect clues from some of the region’s most valuable (and tasty!) commercial fish species to reveal the mystery of fish population structures. This information helps scientists maximize harvest opportunities for fishermen.

“It’s the key piece to understanding if your fishery is healthy,” Schemmel said. “With the best scientific information possible, you can maximize how much fishing you can do, while keeping fish populations reproducing at the same level.”

Healthy fish populations depend on reproductive adults, and it’s often the oldest, largest fish that play the biggest role in keeping their numbers going. By collecting enough samples from larger fish—like the recent gindai—scientists can determine the average and maximum lifespan of fish in a population. This data helps scientists create more accurate stock assessment models—the foundation for management measures.

Tick Tock: Fish With Hidden Clocks

The science of aging fish relies on a key piece of evidence: otoliths. Most fish have these tiny, jewel-like bones in their inner ears. They help fish hear and balance in their surroundings underwater. They also carry information about the fish’s growth, similar to growth rings in a tree. These lines provide a reliable estimate of the fish’s age.

Collecting otoliths is quick and doesn’t harm the catch. In return for this effort, NOAA Fisheries scientists gain a literal lifetime of data.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

Council supporting a review of monument fishing restrictions

June 25, 2025 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is backing federal efforts to examine commercial fishing prohibitions in marine national monuments, including the Marianas Trench, as part of a broader push to expand fishing opportunities across the Pacific island region.

The council directed staff to analyze the monuments and potential burdens placed on commercial fishing operations following Executive Order 14276, which asks the Secretary of Commerce to review marine national monuments to remove commercial fishing restrictions that may conflict with national seafood priorities. The council met June 9-11 in Honolulu.

“I think the council’s always been on record saying that the commercial fishing prohibitions are not needed,” said Joshua DeMello, fishery analyst at the council, during a recent interview with The Guam Daily Post. “Management of the area should be done rather than a complete closure.”

The executive order specifically targets monuments including Papahānaumokuākea, Rose Atoll and the Marianas Trench for review to ensure alignment with national seafood priorities. DeMello noted that all four marine national monuments in the council’s jurisdiction were already managed under the Magnuson Act since 1976.

“All of the monuments in our area, we have four Marine National Monuments. We’re pristine, and that’s why they keep saying that they want to keep it because it’s pristine, but the fact is that all four of those areas have been managed since the 1976 Magnuson Act went into place,” DeMello said.

The council will work with its advisors to examine what has been impacted by commercial fishing prohibitions and provide analysis to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Staff recommendations are expected when NOAA issues a Federal Register notice seeking public comments, potentially as early as late July.

DeMello emphasized that the council’s role differs from environmental protection agencies, focusing instead on sustainable fishing practices that ensure long-term access to marine resources.

“The councils are there to ensure that fishing can occur forever and ever. Our job is to protect the fishing interests, whether it be non-commercial, recreational, commercial, subsistence and ensure that we’ll be able to fish forever,” he said.

Read the full article at The Guam Daily Post

HAWAII: ‘Marine Debris Hackathon’ challenges participants to invent ocean-saving tools

June 24, 2025 — The University of Hawaii announced a new competition to develop innovative tools that can be used to cut and remove derelict fishing nets from the ocean.

The University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program and Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project launched a new “Marine Debris Hackathon” challenge, for participants to design and develop next-generation tools.

Derelict fishing gear, also called “ghost gear,” poses a severe risk to marine life and coral reefs.

Methods for ghost gear removal are often labor-intensive and limited by existing tool capabilities.

Read the the full article at Hawaii News Now

Fishing council to ask Trump to lift fishing ban in Papahanaumokuakea

June 20, 2025 — The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council which sets fishing policies will ask President Trump to allow commercial fishing in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the northwestern Hawaiian islands. It’s the largest marine protected area in the world.

“That ask is to open waters of Papahānaumokuākea to commercial fishing. We may also include recreational fishing and subsistence fishing,” said Kitty Simonds, Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, executive director.

Simonds was in the Oval Office when President Trump signed the executive order in April to allow commercial fishing in a different preserve, the Pacific Island Heritage Marine National Monument around Johnston Atoll in the Central Pacific.

“It was very exciting for us,” said Simonds.

Read the full article at Hawaii News Now

WPRFC approves mandatory electronic monitoring of longline vessels

June 13, 2025 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Council (WPRFC) has authorized mandatory electronic monitoring of all commercial longline vessels operating in the Hawai‘i and American Samoa fisheries.

With the number of human observers dwindling due to limited funding, the council determined that it was necessary to adopt electronic monitoring in order to adequately track the fisheries’ operations and ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Hawai‘i Fishermen Reel in Data With Local Tagging Project

June 2, 2025 — In Hawai‘i, fishing isn’t the only thing passed down through generations. Kaua‘i fisherman Cory Olores grew up watching his father carefully tag and release his catch. Today, he’s continuing that legacy through the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group’s Tag It project. The program has harnessed the capacity of anglers across Hawai‘i and led to more than 20,000 tagged fish. The tagged fish provide critical data for scientists to understand and ensure abundant fish populations.

For Fish, Fishermen, and the Future

NOAA Fisheries works to expand access to U.S. recreational fishing through science-based conservation and management. And no one wants to preserve their way of living and pastime more than fishermen.

The Tag It program empowers local anglers to be part of improving their fisheries. “Everyone’s so passionate about our resource, about access to it, and about perpetuating that for future generations,” said Alex Min, Tag It project coordinator, “That’s why we’re involved with tagging.”

Tags Tell a Story

Scientists use data to understand how fish populations are doing. That’s where partnerships between fishermen and scientists are vital. Tag It participants collect and share key data from tagged fish like length, date and time of catch, and location. (Don’t worry—the program uses general location to compare capture locations, so it doesn’t reveal secret fishing spots.)

“Whatever type of information I can give them, I’ll give them,” Olores said of the ulua he tags and releases. “I’m trying to save the fish—to get information to preserve the fish for future generations.” Olores first witnessed his father tag fish as a kid on Kauaʻi and has always been curious about how he can help maintain fishing opportunities in Hawai‘i.

Each time someone tags a fish, it adds a detail to the storyline. This helps scientists piece together how fish live, move, and change over time. The more data we have, the clearer the story becomes. And this helps anglers, too.

“It’s actually making me open my eyes more to figuring out the way they live,” Olores said. “I’ll take a picture; I’ll jot down what time I caught it; and I look at the tide … [and see] they actually bite better at this tide. I’m actually recording my catches and seeing what’s working better.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Greens sue to block Pacific marine monument fishing

May 23, 2025 — Environmentalists are seeking to block the implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order opening most of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial fishing, arguing the order violates the Antiquities Act of 1906.

The law allows presidents to designate federal land or waters as national monuments, but “does not grant them the authority to strip vital protections from established monuments,” Earthjustice said in a news release accompanying its complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii.

Trump issued the executive order April 17. It argued that fishing prohibitions have kept commercial fleets from too much of the United States’ waters in the Pacific Islands. “This has driven American fishermen to fish further offshore in international waters to compete against poorly regulated and highly subsidized foreign fleets,” the order stated.

Read the full article at E&E News