Saving Seafood

NOAA’s Drone Use Makes a Huge Splash at Recent Demo in Hawai‘i

March 5, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

At an unmanned aerial system (UAS) workshop held on December 11, 2019, NOAA demonstrastrated how it uses UAS technology in coral-related marine applications. The workshop brought together various agencies and NGOs who conduct geographical surveys for a technology show-and-tell. The gathering may lead to new collaborative projects between NOAA and partners.

“Everybody was super excited about our demonstration,” said Robert O’Conner, fishery information specialist with the NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office. “The workshop was a really nice way to build collaboration between groups,” added Dr. Matthew Parry, a fishery biologist with the NOAA Restoration Center and the Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program.

The workshop was organized by the Hawai‘i Geographic Information Coordinating Council, a nonprofit that brings together members of Hawai‘i’s geospatial community. Members include, among others:

  • NOAA
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • U.S. Forest Service
  • University of Hawai‘i
  • Hawai‘i Statewide GIS Program
  • Women in Technology

The event was held at the Kawainui R/C Air Model Field in Kailua, O‘ahu. There were UAS demonstrations from NOAA, the environmental consulting agency Dudek, and the surveying company Frontier Precision.

Read the full release here

Feds Agree to Consider Protections for Hawaii’s Cauliflower Coral

March 5, 2020 — The Trump administration agreed Wednesday to determine by this summer whether it will extend federal wildlife protections to Hawaii’s cauliflower coral reef.

The agreement, filed in federal court in Honolulu, comes after the Center for Biological Diversity sued claiming the National Marine Fisheries Service fails to protect the coral under the Endangered Species Act.

In its federal complaint, the conservation group said Hawaii’s cauliflower coral has been devastated by ocean warming.

Warming oceans have caused widespread bleaching of the coral, whose populations declined by 36% between 1999 and 2012, according to the conservation group. A global coral-bleaching between 2014 and 2017 killed millions of coral on hundreds of reefs from Hawaii to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.

Read the full story at the Courthouse News Service

WPFMC Leaders Express USCG Appreciation for Combatting IUU Fishing in Western Pacific Region

March 2, 2020 — Western Pacific Fishery Management Council Chair Taotasi Archie Soliai and Executive Director Kitty M. Simonds laud the US Coast Guard’s recent success in combating illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing in the Western Pacific Region.

On Monday, the Maritime Executive reported that for the first time since 2012, the Coast Guard’s Honolulu-based 14th District intercepted foreign vessels illegally operating within the U.S. exclusive economic zone waters off Guam and Hawai’i.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Scientists to Address 2020 Bottomfish and Bigeye Tuna Catches for US Pacific Territories

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

Scientists from throughout the Pacific will meet March 3 to 5 in Honolulu to discuss acceptable catch of bottomfish in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and catch and allocation limits for longline-caught bigeye tuna in Guam, CNMI and American Samoa. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will convene 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400. The meeting is open to the public.

Guam and CNMI Bottomfish Fisheries: The SSC is scheduled to set the acceptable biological catches (ABCs) for the Territories of Guam and CNMI bottomfish fisheries for fishing year 2020-2023. The ABCs will be based on the 2019 stock assessment of the fisheries, which is the best scientific information available. The assessment found the Guam bottomfish to be overfished but the fishery is not experiencing overfishing, and the CNMI to be neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing. The ABCs will be based on the overfishing limit (OFL) reflected in the stock assessment minus any scientific uncertainties and will be used by the Council to set the annual catch limits (ACLs) for the fisheries. The Council is scheduled to meet March 10 to 12 in Honolulu to recommend the ACLs and address other matters.

Guam, CNMI and American Samoa Longline-Caught Bigeye Tuna: Conservation and management measures for Western and Central Pacific bigeye tuna are developed by the international Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The WCPFC has developed specific national quotas for longline-caught bigeye tuna for six member countries, including the United States. However, no quotas are specified for small island developing states (SIDS) and territories (including American Samoa, Guam and the CNMI) in recognition of their aspirations to develop their fisheries. Although not required by the Commission, the Council developed quotas for the US Pacific Territories. Also established was a management framework that allows the US Territories to allocate a portion of their catch limits through Specified Fishing Agreements with US vessels permitted under the Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the purposes of responsible fisheries development in the Territories. The current catch limits are 2,000 metric tons (mt) per Territory of which up to 1,000 mt can be allocated. The SSC will review the bigeye longline catch and allocation limits and may make recommendations to the Council to adjust them.

Other items on the SSC agenda

  • American Samoa, Guam and CNMI Bottomfish Management: The original Bottomfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Western Pacific Region listed 20 fish species that dominated the landings, which included both shallow and deep-water species. The bottomfish were grouped into a single complex for management purposes. In 2009, the bottomfish management unit species (BMUS) were amended as part of the restructuring of the Council’s FMPs into place-based Fishery Ecosystem Plans (FEPs). American Samoa, Guam and CNMI each had its own BMUS list, which continued to be treated as a complex for management purposes. The BMUS lists for the territories were most recently revised in 2018 when some MUS were designated as Ecosystem Component Species, which do not require ACLs. The territory bottomfish fisheries have evolved over time, which may warrant further amendments of the BMUS.
  • Rebuilding Plan: The release of the 2019 benchmark stock assessment for the territory bottomfish fishery triggered the development of a rebuilding plan for the American Samoa and Guam bottomfish that were considered overfished. This is the first rebuilding plan that will be developed for the region. The SSC is scheduled to discuss its role in the rebuilding plan development process and determine the scientific information needed to develop the plan.
  • Electronic Reporting: The SSC will review and make recommendations to the Council on reporting requirements, cost allocation, and data management of electronic reporting in the Hawaii longline fishery.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets March 10 to 12, 2020, at the YWCA Atherton Hall, 1040 Richards St., Honolulu. For agendas and briefing documents for the SSC, Council and related advisory body meetings, go to http://www.wpcouncil.org/public-meetings/ or contact the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or call (808) 522-8220.

Reviewers Approve Stock Assessment for Hawai’i Gray Snapper, Emphasize the Need for Accurate Recreational Catch Data

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

In Hawai’i, consumers prefer deep-water snappers for their red and pink color, which has cultural significance especially around the winter holidays. However, in May and June, fishermen switch to target the less desired, but just as delicious, gray snapper, known locally as uku (Aprion virescens). During these months, uku are found in abundance at Penguin Bank, located between Moloka’i and O’ahu, where they likely aggregate to spawn.

The good news about uku in the main Hawaiian Islands is the stock is healthy. In fact, scientists at NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) recently determined that Hawai’i fishermen can continue to harvest uku without harming the stock’s ability to maintain its maximum sustainable yield. The PIFSC stock assessment for uku was reviewed this week by the Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR) panel, which ascertained that the assessment is sound and based on the best scientific information available.

Erik Franklin, PhD, University of Hawai’i at Manoa and chair of the WPSAR panel, presented the results today in Honolulu to a group of interested scientists, fishery managers and fishermen at the office of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, where the five-day review was held. The WPSAR panel also included Yong Chen, PhD, University of Maine, and Yan Jiao, PhD, Virginia Tech. Gray snapper is a species managed offshore by the Council in both Hawai’i and American Samoa, where it is known as asoama.

The review contained recommendations to improve future stock assessments. “It can’t be emphasized enough, the importance of getting accurate recreational data for future assessments,” Franklin said.

Marc Nadon, one of the PIFSC stock assessment scientists, said the uku assessment utilized commercial catch data from 1948 to 2018. Since recreational catch data for the fishery is available only since about 2003, the scientists used data from 2003 to 2007 and applied it to the human population trend in Hawai’i to recreate the noncommercial data for the same period as the commercial data.

Recreational catch in Hawai’i is captured voluntarily for state waters (0 to 3 miles offshore) through the Hawai’i Marine Recreational Fishing Survey, run by the State of Hawai’i, with assistance from NOAA Fisheries. In federal waters (3 to 200 miles offshore), noncommercial permits and reporting are required for bottomfish but only a few fishermen have complied.

Uku is found in depths of 0 to 600 feet and is caught mainly by deep-sea and inshore handline and by trolling. Look for it in the markets this spring as an alternative to mahimahi and ono (wahoo) while you wait for ahi (yellowfin tuna) to return to the islands in the summer.

For more information, contact the Council at (808) 522-8220 or by email at info.wpcouncil@noaa.gov.

USCG Intercepts Illegal Fishing Vessels Off Guam and Hawaii

February 27, 2020 — For the first time in eight years, the U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted illegal fishing vessels within American EEZ areas in the Central and Western Pacific. Fishing boat interdiction is a common task for the Coast Guard off the coast of Texas, where Mexican “lancha” fishing boats are routinely intercepted in U.S. waters, but IUU fishing by foreign vessels is almost unheard of in America’s far-flung Pacific Ocean EEZ regions.

“While we’ve seen incursions into the EEZs of partners and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing on the high seas, these are the first interdictions we’ve had in the U.S. EEZ since 2012,” said Lt. Jason Holstead of the Coast Guard’s 14th District, which is responsible for most of the Pacific from Hawaii west. “The combination of partnerships, electronic methods, and putting assets on the scene to catch violators in the act is essential to deterring IUU fishing in Oceania.”

In both cases, the Coast Guard was conducting surveillance flights in the zones off Guam and Hawaii with HC-130 aircraft crews based near Pearl Harbor. Case packages for the intercepts were forwarded to the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement for further action, and the investigations are pending.

Read the full story at The Maritime Executive

Fisheries of the U.S. 2018 Report: West Coast, Hawaii Generally Stable with a Few Exceptions

February 26, 2020 — Rockfish landings and values are up, squid landings are down on the West Coast. Sablefish prices have dropped, following an increase in landings on the West Coast and Alaska. Hawaii’s total value for seafood products is up, even though lower volumes of fish are being harvested.

Such are just some of the data included for the Pacific Coast in NMFS’ Fisheries of the United States, 2018, report that was released Friday. The report combines data from Alaska and the West Coast—and sometimes Hawaii, too—into the larger Pacific Coast, but a few of the tables and information reveal clues that tell their own stories or trends specific to smaller areas or individual fisheries.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Rep. Huffman Hears From Diverse Groups on Federal Fisheries Management

February 24, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

In the span of one week, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), Chair of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee, received feedback on federal fisheries management policy from stakeholders in both the South Atlantic and Western Pacific regions during the latest stops on his nationwide listening tour.

During the listening sessions in Miami and Honolulu Representative Huffman heard from industry stakeholders, advocates, scientists, and members of the public, who gave feedback on the current state of fisheries management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and what they hope to see in future federal fisheries policy. Representative Ed Case (HI-01), member of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee, moderated the Hawai’i discussion, with Chairman Huffman joining remotely.
 
“Throughout my listening tour, one thing has been clear: protecting the ocean’s resources and maintaining solid fisheries management is vital to coastal communities and economies. And what I’m hearing is that the Magnuson Stevens Act has been successful  Having the chance to hear from stakeholders across the country has proved invaluable in ensuring that any updates we make to the law are as strong as possible and grounded in addressing the challenges that stakeholders around the country are facing now and in the future,” said Rep. Huffman. 
 
Rep. Huffman’s goal for this listening tour is to assess whether improvements to the Magnuson-Stevens Act are needed and if so, what they should be. More information, a public comment page, and the full press release for this tour can be found on our website here.
 
Videos from the listening sessions can be accessed through Representative Huffman’s Facebook page here.

NOAA concerned with parasite that kills monk seals that’s spread by cat feces

February 21, 2020 — Toxoplasmosis, a parasite found in cat-feces is threatening the survival of Hawaiian Monk Seals. It’s deadly and it works quickly. According to scientists with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, it can kill within 48 hours. It’s listed as one of the top three threats against the endangered species.

Dating back to the 90’s, NOAA reports at least 12 seals have died because of Toxoplasmosis. There’s no exact count because not every corpse has been recovered.

“That doesn’t sound like a very high number but when there’s only 250 to 300 animals in the population that are being impacted by this, it’s significant,” Charles Littnan, Protected Species Division Director, NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, said.

It spreads when cat feces are washed into the ocean, contaminating the water. One seal was killed last month. Another, Pohaku, is recovering after a bystander spotted her logging or floating in the water.

Read the full story at KITV

Reps. Huffman, Case Announce Honolulu as Next Stop on Congressional Fisheries Listening Tour

February 20, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) Chair of the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, and Congressman Ed Case (D-Honolulu) will be hosting the next stop on a nationwide fisheries listening tour TOMORROW, Friday, February 21, at 10:00 a.m. HST in Honolulu, Hawaii. Congressman Case will moderate this discussion on federal fisheries policy in the context of the Western Pacific fishery management region, with Chairman Huffman joining remotely.

Members of the press interested in attending should submit their RSVP to Nestor Garcia with Congressman Case’s office at nestor.garcia@mail.house.gov.

WHO:            Congressman Ed Case, Congressman Jared Huffman (will appear via video conference), fisheries and oceans experts

WHAT:          Discussion on federal fisheries management

WHEN:          Friday, February 21, 2020 @ 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. HST

WHERE:       The Atherton Hālau in the Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI, 96817

The forum will be live-streamed via ‘Ōlelo Community Television Channel 53 and on their web sitewww.olelo.org/tune-in.  The direct link to share can be found here: https://olelo.granicus.com/player/camera/11?publish_id=89. It will be viewable to anyone with an internet connection. Please credit ‘Ōlelo Community Media for use of the video.

Congressional Fisheries Listening Tour: 2/11 LIVE Honolulu

  • 2/21/2020    10:00 AM    OLELO 53 LIVE
  • 3/11/2020     7:30 PM      OLELO 49
  • 3/15/2020   10:00 PM      OLELO 49
  • 3/16/2020     8:00 AM     OLELO 49
  • 3/17/2020     1:30 PM      OLELO 49

This panel discussion with experts and stakeholders will include a detailed, technical examination of current and future challenges in federal fisheries management and will explore potential solutions. Guests will be able to ask questions during the roundtable and provide public comments at its conclusion.

The ideas Huffman receives from this listening tour, and from other stakeholder outreach that is already underway, will inform his introduction of a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the primary law governing fisheries management in U.S. federal waters.

More detail on Huffman’s listening tour, which was first announced in July, can be found here.