Saving Seafood

HPU ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF BOUNTY PROJECT

October 17, 2023 — In January 2023, HPU Center for Marine Debris Research (CMDR) announced an ambitious bounty project partially supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program to remove tons of derelict fishing gear from the ocean.

In partnership with the Hawaiʻi Longline Association (HLA) and the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources, HPU’s preliminary results from the project saw 12,189 pounds (6.09 tons) of debris, from 41 fishing nets, removed from the ocean in less than one year.

“Removing 100 tons of derelict fishing gear from our oceans in just two years is an inspiring goal, and we’ve made great progress so far,” said Research Manager of HPU’s Center for Marine Debris Research Raquel Corniuk. “Our program rewards dedicated commercial fishers for their essential role in protecting Hawai’i’s coral reefs, offering them $1 to $3 per dry pound for retrieving derelict gear at sea. I believe this initiative is a win-win for both our fishermen and the preservation of our stunning ocean environments.”

Read the full article at Hawaii Pacific University

Wanted: New Executive Director For Hawaii Fisheries Council

October 14, 2023 — Kitty Simonds, one of the most influential people in the Pacific in U.S. fishing policy, says she’s actively seeking someone to replace her as executive director of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, a post she’s held for 40 years.

“I haven’t decided exactly when,” Simonds said of her impending departure. “I have been searching for suitable candidates.”

Simonds said she’s not ready to reveal the identities of any of her possible successors or the people that she and others at Wespac have been talking to, but the process has been playing out for many months.

One name that has been floated among those keeping an eye on Wespac’s future is Esther Kiaaina, currently a member of the Honolulu City Council.

Kiaaina said that while she’s heard the same rumors, she has not been approached by Simonds or any others from Wespac about taking on the position nor is it something that she is interested in pursuing should Simonds ultimately decide to retire.

Read the full article at Civil Beat

HAWAII: Hawai‘i Marine Animal Response Earns 2023 Partner in the Spotlight Award

August 31, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

In 2023, we recognized Hawai‘i Marine Animal Response as a Partner in the Spotlight for expanding and enhancing recovery of Hawaiian monk seals. These seals are one of our most imperiled marine species.

Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response works with Hawaiian monk seals and other marine protected species on the islands of O‘ahu and Moloka‘i. Since partnering with NOAA in 2016, their more than 80 volunteers, interns, and staff have spent countless hours conducting field responses for seals on shore and at sea. They have:

  • Responded to stranded seals and newborn pups
  • Monitored injured and compromised individuals
  • Collected important health and stranding response data
  • Developed unique projects to educate public community members

“We feel honored to be able to take an active role in the recovery of the Hawaiian monk seal population and to be a key NOAA partner in this endeavor,” expressed HMAR founder and president Jon Gelman.

Outreach and education are key to HMAR’s mission. Their efforts to educate the public in the field is complemented by their work in schools and at local events around the islands. Educational programs in schools include the naming of monk seal pups using protocols developed by Hawaiian educators. This creates a strong sense of kuleana (responsibility) and stewardship of monk seals for students and teachers.

These monitoring and outreach efforts have been especially valuable when seals are born in highly populated areas. In 2017, we all got a big surprise when RH58 (Rocky) gave birth to RJ58 (Kaimana), the first pup ever born in busy Waikīkī. This was the beginning of adaptive management for Waikīkī pupping. Four Waikīkī pups have been born since then, most recently in 2023. HMAR volunteers and staff continue to be the boots on the ground to work alongside NOAA and other entities, creating a safe environment in this high-traffic beach area.

“Our team works incredibly hard 12 hours a day, 7 days a week,” Gelman said. “And it’s worth every ounce of effort we put in because we’re all so committed to the recovery of this species. Hawaiian monk seals are special biologically and culturally, and it’s a happy day any time we’re able to help even one seal.”

 

Team collects over 86,000 pounds of marine debris from Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

August 4, 2023 — Over 86,000 pounds of marine debris were cleared from the Pacific Ocean, thanks to the conservation efforts of a Hawaii nonprofit organization.

During a 30-day cleanup, a team from the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project removed the debris from shallow coral reefs and shorelines of islands and atolls along Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is home to thousands of wildlife species, many of which are endangered, and contain 3.5 million acres of coral reefs.

The 16-person team’s target areas along the island chain were the Maro Reef, Laysan Island, and the Lisianski Island. Of the total debris cleared, 57,240 pounds were removed from the Maro Reef, 16,820 pounds were removed from the Laysan Island, and 12,040 pounds from the Lisianski Island.

Read the full article at Hawaii News Now

HAWAII: Pier 38 Fish Market Lures Us with Fresh-Off-the-Boat Seafood

August 3, 2023 — Pier 38 Fish Market sells seafood so fresh that some lands in Honolulu by boat or plane the same day it’s sold. ‘Ahi from nearby waters, hamachi flown in from Japan, lobster from Maine, sweet amaebi shrimp worthy of a sushi counter: The selection changes daily at this tiny retail shop.

The fish market opened in April next to Nami Kaze restaurant. Dinner crowds might miss it since it closes at 5 p.m. I stumble on it after brunch with a friend. Since we’re happily full, I plan to browse and return another day. But I can’t resist and end up circling back to buy hamachi sashimi ($15 for a little more than half a pound), amaebi, a block of ‘ahi ($18.95 a pound) and a lobster ($16.95 a pound). I marvel over a rainbow of tobiko, flying fish roe in plain orange, green with a wasabi kick and yellow from a hint of citrusy yuzu.

It’s like being in a seafood version of a candy shop. Each time I go, I hear customers comparing prices at other fresh seafood counters on O‘ahu. The selection and lower-than-usual retail prices make sense when you consider the fish market’s location within shouting distance of the fishing boats at the pier, and the fact that its owner, Fresh Island Fish, is Hawai‘i’s largest seafood distributor.

Read the full article at Frolic

Who Is Killing Hawaii’s Endangered Monk Seals?

June 23, 2023 — When federal officials announced earlier this month the death of Malama, a young female monk seal pup whom they believe was likely killed intentionally, the case sparked widespread community outrage and calls to bring whomever is responsible to justice.

However, since 2009 federal authorities have managed to prosecute just one of 16 confirmed cases in which a critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal was intentionally killed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Those 16 cases don’t include Malama, officially known as RQ76, whose body was found in March near Waianae with blunt-force injuries. Her death still has not been confirmed as intentional.

It’s not clear why NOAA has struggled for so long to prosecute those responsible for killing these seals that are native to and only live in the Hawaiian Islands. A spokesman for the agency’s law enforcement branch did not respond to requests this past week to discuss the general challenges that they face.

Read the full article at the Civil Beat

University of Hawai’i study finds social media found to be effective research tool for fisheries monitoring

June 9, 2023 — Social media is an effective data-collection tool when studying the activities of recreational fisheries, reducing the limitations of cost and timeliness associated with traditional research methods, according to a new study.

University of Hawai’i at Hilo Adjunct Associate Professor and Hawai’i Cooperative Fishery Research Unit Leader Tim Grabowski was the lead author of the paper, which was published in March 2023 in Aquatic Biology.

Read the full at SeafoodSource

NOAA hearing underscored opposition to marine sanctuary plan

June 5, 2023 — The public hearing in American Samoa about U.S. plans to expand a Pacific marine sanctuary has failed to assuage fears of tuna cannery job losses and further economic decline in the territory, according to workers, business owners and political leaders.

After a decade of lobbying by the Hawaii-based Pacific Remote Islands Coalition, the U.S. government earlier this year said it could double the size of the protected area around uninhabited U.S. islands in the Pacific Ocean, making more ocean area off-limits to fishing fleets.

But the proposal has been greeted with dismay in American Samoa, where residents fear a heavy blow to the economically crucial tuna industry. Dozens of placard-wielding employees of the StarKist cannery in American Samoa protested outside a recent hearing held in Pago Pago by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees protected marine and coastal areas.

“I have seven children between the ages of two and 17, they are all in school, and I have been supporting my family working for StarKist Samoa,” Tanielu Malae, the sole breadwinner for his family, said at the May 25 hearing. “Do the people in Hawaii that made this proposal know what it is like for people like us that did not have proper education if we lose our jobs.”

American Samoa’s Lieutenant Governor, Talauega Eleasalo Ale, who said he was at the hearing as a resident rather than representing the territory’s government, made an emotional appeal to “brothers and sisters” in Hawaii.

Read the full article at Samoa News

Locals testify against expanding marine monument

May 22, 2023 — THE local opposition to a proposed expansion of a marine national monument in the Pacific Remote Islands was clear Friday, as most public commentators expressed their frustrations and aired their concerns to representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA was on island to collect public comments regarding a proposal to expand the boundaries of marine protections at Howland and Baker Islands, and Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll, as well as encompass the areas under one marine national monument.

Most speakers against the expansion of the national marine monument shared one or more of the following basic arguments: the NOAA process to establish the sanctuary was too unilateral, in that it came from the federal government with not enough input from the Pacific; Pacific peoples were already conserving marine resources prior to NOAA’s establishment; and American Samoa’s fish canning industry will be damaged if the PRI national monument is expanded.

Read the full article at Marianas Variety 

Amata and Expert Witnesses Highlight Fishing Fleet Role in Countering PRC in Pacific Islands

May 18, 2023 — The following was released by Amata Coleman Radewagen:

Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata and expert witnesses together strongly emphasized the importance of the U.S. Pacific fishing fleet and American-produced tuna in a Tuesday hearing on countering the PRC in the Pacific Islands, as well as highlighting how stationing Coast Guard vessels at Pago Pago Harbor would be an important signal of U.S. commitment in the Pacific.

Video of the hearing is available in its entirety HERE. American Samoa’s strategic role was highlighted in expert testimony provided by Dr. Peter Watson, President and CEO, The Dwight Group; Cleo Paskal, Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Alexander Gray, Managing Partner, American Global Strategies; Derek Grossman, Senior Defense Analyst, The RAND Corporation; and Emil Friberg, former Assistant Director and Senior Economist, International Affairs and Trade, Government Accounting Office. Congresswoman Amata’s statement and question begins at the 51:25 mark, leading into Dr. Watson’s response ending at 56:28.