Saving Seafood

HAWAII: Kauai counters seeing fewer whales, too

October 4, 2018 — Annual February humpback whale counts from Kauai have dipped to less than half the number they were in 2014, keeping in rhythm with recent statewide research.

Every year the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary holds three counts during the time the whales are in Hawaii — once in January, once in February and the last in March.

Humpback whales are generally in Hawaiian waters from November to May, with peak season being January through March, to breed and have their young.

The 2017 season on Kauai kicked off early, with the one of the first sightings reported Oct. 18, from a Blue Dolphin Adventures tour.

The counts occur simultaneously throughout the islands, with volunteers recording whale sightings during 15-minute periods and on Kauai, data is accumulated from 15 sites.

In March 2015, Kauai and the Big Island averaged two whales every 15 minutes, and Oahu averaged three every 15 minutes.

March 2014 yielded an average of three whales every 15 minutes on Kauai and Oahu, and two per every 15-minute time period on the Big Island.

Kauai reported four whale sightings every 15 minutes in March 2013, and Hawaii and Oahu calculated an average of three. That year, Kauai averaged two whale sightings from all sites.

Researchers have recorded a decline in the number of whale sightings, but also the number of songs and sightings of mother and calf pairs.

Read the full story at The Garden Island

Humpback whale sightings around Hawaii declining

October 1, 2018 — Whale researchers are spotting a trend in the Hawaiian Islands — a decline in humpback whale sightings.

Not only are there fewer sightings, fewer male Hawaiian humpback whales have been recorded singing, and the number of mother-calf pairs has been diminishing for the past three seasons, according to the researchers. While the trend has been consistent over the past three years, the scientists refrained from sounding an alarm about the whales disappearing as a new season is around the corner.

“They’re not all gone,” said Ed Lyman, who is with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. “We are seeing indications of fewer whales near the islands where our effort is … There are still plenty of whales out there.”

The peak of the season is usually between January and March, when thousands of humpback whales migrate from Alaska to Hawaii to mate, calve and nurse their young, although they can be spotted in November or earlier, and stay as late as May.

Lyman, a researcher and the sanctuary’s whale entanglement response coordinator, said for him, the first signs of the decline were in late December 2015.

That’s when he got calls from whale-watching tour operators on Hawaii island, inquiring about their late arrival. Lyman reached out to tour operators on other islands, as well, and found them saying the same thing — the whales were late, and there were fewer sightings. He got the same reports from contacts in Mexico.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser

 

Cauliflower Coral Could Be Listed as Endangered

September 25, 2018 — Officials say endangered or threatened species protection may be warranted for cauliflower coral across its entire range — not just Hawaii.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports the National Marine Fisheries Service issued last week its 90-day finding on a March petition seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the coral.

The coral, Pocillpora meandrina, is found in Hawaii and on most shallow reefs in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific. It has been devastated by habitat changes, disease and predation, lack of protection and other natural man-made factors.

The Center for Biological Diversity, which raised the petition, says in Hawaii alone, there was a 36.1 percent drop in coverage from 1999-2012.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at U.S. News

Hawaiian Coral is considered for federal protection

September 20, 2018 — Hawaiian cauliflower coral is one step closer to federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, according to the first review released on Wednesday by the National Marine Fisheries Service of a manufacturing sponsor of the Center for Biodiversity.

Nickname cauliflower, Pocillopora meandrina is often pink, green or cream-colored and is characterized by its branching colonies. Called Ko? A on Hawaiian, the coral is rich in rocky reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific and East Pacific.

“Information presented in the production and other readily available information in our files shows that the most important threat to P. meandrina throughout its assortment at present and in the future, and to the coral columns in the Indo-Pacific region, such as P. meandrina is a part off, marine warming and subsequent warming-induced coral bleeding and mortality, says the report.

Between 2014 and 2015, cauliflower coral was one of many species affected by severe bleeding events, in which single-cell organisms called zooxanthellae that live inside the coral structure and give that pigment expelled. Zooxanthellae can resettle in the coral, other times the organism dies.

Subsequent investigations of Hanauma Bay on Oahu in 2016 recorded evidence of bleeding in 64 percent of P. meandrina colonies, while 1.3 percent were “affected by total post bleaching mortality”. On the western coast of Big Island, 49.6 percent of all living corals were leaks lost.

“Corrosion protection ultimately needs to reduce global temperature increases by drastically reducing fossil fuels. Cauliflower coral is also threatened locally through land-based contamination, sedimentation and physical disturbance caused by human activities, “says the Center for Biological Diversity in a Press Release.

Read the full story at Vaaju

Hawaiian Longline Operators Accept $475,000 MARPOL Fine

September 12, 2018 — The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Coast Guard have reached a consent decree with Hawaii-based operator Asure Fishery over the discharge of oily waste from a commercial longliner. It is the fourth MARPOL enforcement action that the USCG has brought against a Hawaiian longline fishing firm this year.

In a federal complaint filed last Friday, federal prosecutors alleged that the tuna longliner Jaxon T was not equipped for the treatment or storage of oily bilge waste under way, and she often discharged these wastes at sea. The complaint alleges that company managers Khang Quang Dang and Hanh Thi Nguyen had reason to know that the vessel lacked proper equipment for handling oily waste, but still allowed it to sail.

According to the complaint, the bulkhead separating the Jaxon T’s engine room from the fish hold had penetrations that allowed “free flow of fluids” between the two compartments. Apart from the potential safety implications of this arrangement, “substantial” amounts of water from melted ice would flow into the engine room, where it would raise the level of the water in the bilge. To address this problem, the crew would allegedly pump the bilge water directly over the side using a portable electric water pump, “one or more times per day.”

Read the full story at the Maritime Executive

 

Hawaii may face direct hit, serious damage from Hurricane Lane to end this week

August 22, 2018 — Major Hurricane Lane is forecast to close in on Hawaii and threaten lives and property on the islands due to pounding surf, flash flooding, mudslides and strong winds.

There is the possibility of Lane making a direct hit on one or more of the islands late this week and into this weekend. The ultimate severity of impacts will depend on the exact track and strength of Lane.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige has signed an emergency proclamation in advance of the hurricane. Some schools have also been closed until further notice.

Even in lieu of a direct hit, “Lane has the potential of bringing the state of Hawaii serious and perhaps record damage,” according to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.

“All residents and interests on the islands should closely monitor Hurricane Lane and pay particular attention to local officials on possible evacuations and preparations,” Kottlowski said.

Download the free AccuWeather app for the latest forecast and advisories related to Hurricane Lane.

Damage to homes and businesses may occur.

Lane is currently at Category 5 strength but is expected to weaken gradually as it turns northwestward just south and west of the island chain. A Category 5 hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 157 mph or greater.

Read the full story at AccuWeather

HAWAII: HPA Sea Turtle Research Program turns 31

August 7, 2018 –Those who love Hawaiian green sea turtles will be pleased to learn that they’re currently doing well and thriving.

Such is the summation of Marc Rice, a marine biologist who, for the past 31 years, has directed the Hawaii Preparatory Academy (HPA) Sea Turtle Research Program, and worked at the school for 47 years.

“Hawaii’s turtles weren’t always doing well; in fact, in the ’70s and early ‘80s you didn’t hear much about them,” he said. “I was here for years before I even realized there were green turtles around because they were pretty much hunted out of existence. You hardly ever saw them.”

The situation began changing for the better in 1978, when the Hawaiian green sea turtle was listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

The HPA Sea Turtle Research Program was created in 1987 through a collaborative partnership between the school and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA/NMFS). George Balazs, a NOAA senior sea turtle biologist who’s now retired, was the driving force behind the cooperative program.

The program’s first tagging trip took place in October 1987 when Balazs, Rice, David Gulko and 20 students traveled to Kiholo State Park Reserve along the Kohala Coast.

“We were out there for three days, had nets in the water 24 hours a day and caught seven turtles,” Rice recalled.

Read the full story at West Hawaii Today

Florida Congressman’s Billfish Legislation Would Take a Toll on Western Pacific Commercial Industry

August 6, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — A freshman Florida Congressman’s bill is expected to have dire repercussions thousands of miles away in the Western Pacific — and to American consumers.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council said consumers may soon be deprived of sustainably harvested domestic marlin products if President Trump sign legislation to prohibit interstate commerce of billfish (not including swordfish) landed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The bill, introduced by Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., passed the House on June 26 and the Senate on July 30 and is now headed to the president.

“It is upsetting, in this era of tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the $12 billion U.S. seafood trade deficit, that highly monitored U.S. Pacific Island fishing and seafood communities may suffer hardship should this legislation become law,” Council Executive Director Kitty M. Simonds said in a press release.

Under current law, billfish caught by U.S. vessels that are landed in Hawaii or other U.S. Pacific Islands may be sold to markets on the U.S. mainland. More than 550,000 pounds of American-caught billfish landed in the Pacific Islands are annually marketed in the continental U.S. The billfish was worth approximately $830,000 in 2017 dockside value. When the dockside value is expanded through wholesale and retail markets, the estimated annual value is approximately $2.5 million.

The commercial harvest of Atlantic billfish has been prohibited in the United Sates since 1988 because several Atlantic billfish species are overfished and/or subject to overfishing (e.g., blue marlin, white marlin and East Atlantic sailfish). By contrast, Pacific and Western Pacific billfish populations are not overfished nor subject to overfishing, with the exception of striped marlin, due to international fishing, the Council said in the statement. A Billfish Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is required to accompany billfish to any dealer or processor who subsequently receives or possesses the billfish. The COE documents the vessel, homeport, port of offloading and date of offloading and ensures the fish is not from the Atlantic or foreign fisheries.

NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Chris Oliver said in December 2017 he has “full confidence in these existing management processes to sustainably manage billfish populations.”

Congresswomen Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii; Madeleine Z. Bordallo, D-Guam; and Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, R-American Samoa, in an Additional Views statement on H.R. 4528, said the legislation “will negatively impact the livelihoods of fishermen in Hawaii, Guam and the Pacific Insular Areas by closing off the only off-island market for U.S.-caught billfish.” Acknowledging that several Atlantic billfish species are subject to overfishing, the Congresswomen said, “We support needed-conservation efforts in the Atlantic, but do not believe that Pacific fisheries need to be targeted in order to achieve these goals.”

The Council and Pacific Island lawmakers also have the support of Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

In a June 5 letter to the Council, Ross said, “We believe the legislation would not advance the conservation of billfish significantly, and would block a small amount of sustainably harvested domestic product from entering commerce on the U.S. mainland.”

However, Soto’s bill demonstrates the sportfishing industry’s influence in the Southeastern U.S. and furthers the divide between sport and commercial fishermen that has become prevalent in some regions of the country. The bill, titled the Billfish Conservation Act, was supported by primarily sportfishing interests including the American Sportfishing Association, Coastal Conservation Association, Center for Sportfishing Policy, and more.

“We’re grateful to have received overwhelming congressional and external support for our legislation to help protect sharks and billfish,” Soto said in a statement. “These creatures are fundamental to recreational fishing in parts of Florida, but they are often exploited by commercial fishing, that’s why we must do our part to protect them.”

NMFS estimates the United States imports more than 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the nation (www.fishwatch.gov/sustainable-seafood/the-global-picture), the Council said. According to NMFS data, the United States imported more than 6 billion pounds of seafood valued at more than $21.5 billion in 2017, which is more imported seafood than at any point in the nation’s history.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council: US Billfish is Sustainable, Provides Fresh Seafood and Local Revenue

August 2, 2018 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is disappointed that America’s seafood consumers may soon be deprived of sustainably harvested domestic marlin products should President Trump sign legislation to prohibit interstate commerce of billfish (not including swordfish) landed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Darren Soto’s (D-Fla.), passed the House on June 26 and the Senate on July 30 and is now headed to the president.

“It is upsetting, in this era of tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the $12 billion US seafood trade deficit, that highly monitored US Pacific Island fishing and seafood communities may suffer hardship should this legislation become law,” notes Kitty M. Simonds, executive director of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

Under current law, billfish caught by U.S. vessels that are landed in Hawaii or other U.S. Pacific Islands may be sold to markets on the U.S. mainland. More than 550,000 pounds of American-caught billfish landed in the U.S. Pacific Islands are annually marketed in the continental United States. The billfish is worth approximately $830,000 in 2017 dockside value. When the dockside value is expanded through wholesale and retail markets, the estimated annual value is approximately $2.5 million.

The commercial harvest of Atlantic billfish has been prohibited in the United States since 1988 because several Atlantic billfish species are overfished and/or subject to overfishing (e.g., blue marlin, white marlin and East Atlantic sailfish). By contrast, Pacific and Western Pacific billfish populations are not overfished nor subject to overfishing, with the exception of striped marlin, due to international fishing. A Billfish Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is required to accompany billfish to any dealer or processor who subsequently receives or possesses the billfish. The COE documents the vessel, homeport, port of offloading and date of offloading and ensures the fish is not from the Atlantic or foreign fisheries.

Chris Oliver, NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, in December 2017, said he has “full confidence in these existing management processes to sustainably manage billfish populations.”

Congresswomen Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii), Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam) and Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa), in an Additional Views statement on H.R. 4528, said the legislation “will negatively impact the livelihoods of fishermen in Hawaii, Guam and the Pacific Insular Areas by closing off the only off-island market for U.S.-caught billfish.” Acknowledging that several Atlantic billfish species are subject to overfishing, the Congresswomen said, “We support needed-conservation efforts in the Atlantic, but do not believe that Pacific fisheries need to be targeted in order to achieve these goals.”

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, in a June 5, 2018, letter to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, said “we believe the legislation would not advance the conservation of billfish significantly, and would block a small amount of sustainably harvested domestic product from entering commerce on the U.S. mainland.”

NMFS estimates that the United States imports more than 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the nation (www.fishwatch.gov/sustainable-seafood/the-global-picture). According to NMFS data, the United States imported more than 6 billion pounds of seafood valued at more than $21.5 billion in 2017, which is more imported seafood than at any point in the nation’s history.

For more information, go to www.wpcouncil.org/billfish.

Serving Blue Martin Tempura at the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s booth during the 2003 NOAA Fish Fry are (i-r) Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds, Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans, NOAA Administrator Conrad C. Lautenbacher, and Honolulu Chef Russel Siu.

Western Pacific Region Issues Status of the Fisheries 2017

August 2, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The 2017 annual reports on fisheries in Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Islands are now available. Some three dozen reports provide data and trends about last year’s fishery participation, catch rates, landings and other fishery performance factors. Each report also describes ecological components that may impact fishery outcomes, such as protected species interactions, climate and oceanographic conditions and socioeconomic factors. Pacific

A summary of the Western Pacific Region Status of the Fisheries 2017 is available here.

The summary includes descriptions of the fleets, from small sailing vessels to the modern tuna seiners. For instance, here is a description of the American Samoa tuna longline fleet: “The American Samoa longline fleet includes nine vessels greater than 70 feet,  five vessels between 50 and 70 feet and one vessel less than 40 feet in length. All but three of the vessels are owned by the families of Samoan women, who manage the vessels.”

The summary also includes all the regulatory actions taken by the Council in 2017, in chronological order.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council ensures that fisheries are sustainable and marine resources are soundly stewarded seaward of the state waters of Hawai‘i, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA).

To monitor the fisheries, the Council publishes annual reports for the five fishery ecosystem plans (FEPs) that the Council has developed, monitored and amended. The complete annual reports are available here.

Annual reports are produced for each of five fishery ecosystem plans (FEPs) that have been developed, monitored and amended by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. They include the Pelagic FEP, the Pacific Remote Island Areas FEP and FEPs for the Hawai’i Archipelago, American Samoa Archipelago and Mariana (Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) Archipelago.

Except for Hancock seamount armorhead and Western and Central North Pacific striped marlin, none of the fisheries within the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s jurisdiction are overfished. The armorhead was over fished by Japanese and Soviet fleets prior to the establishment of the Council and has been under a moratorium since 1986. The striped marlin is over fished due to international  fishing.

This story originally appeared on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.