Saving Seafood

Hawai’i Longliners Partner with Researchers to Chart Marlin Migration in the Pacific

August 10, 2022 — The following was released by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group and the Large Pelagics Research Center:

The most comprehensive effort to date to characterize striped marlin (Kajikia audax) movements in the Central North Pacific has revealed unexpectedly broad movements among tracked specimens, with some traveling to the east coast of Australia or halfway to California from their dispersal points around Hawai‘i.

The original research, funded by a NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy Program grant, was conducted by scientists associated with the Hawai‘i-based Pacific Islands Fisheries Group (PIFG) and the Large Pelagics Research Center (LPRC) in Massachusetts. It was recently published across two papers in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

The papers’ findings could inform future fisheries management measures affecting striped marlin, at a time when K. audax – a top incidental catch of the longline fishery – is considered overfished in the Western and Central North Pacific.

“There is a major lack of information on the movement and ecology of striped marlin in the Central North Pacific,” said co-author and LPRC Director Molly E. Lutcavage.

“The last dedicated study of striped marlin in the Central North Pacific was almost two decades ago, and involved only a handful of marlin captured by recreational, or sport, fishers.”

Lead author Chi Hin Lam, Clayward Tam and Lutcavage partnered with commercial vessels belonging to the Hawaii Longline Association to deploy 31, $4,000 popup archival satellite tags (PSATs) on striped marlin between 2016 and 2019. Tam’s cooperative, science-based relationships with skilled longline captains made the partnerships successful.

“This is another example of the Hawaii longline vessels playing a significant role in cooperative research with leading scientists,” said Eric Kingma, Executive Director of the Hawai’i Longline Association (HLA). “We have a long history of scientific collaboration and our fleet has served as a research platform for decades. HLA congratulates the authors on their important findings and looks forward to working with PIFG and other scientists on future fisheries management and marine conservation research.”

The PSATs recorded vast horizontal movements throughout the Pacific Ocean, challenging previously-held notions that striped marlin are highly localized in their regional, coastal aggregations.

The tagged marlin, which were tracked for up to one year, routinely crossed multiple fisheries management boundaries and ocean features like seamounts and fracture zones.

One tagged marlin, PG01, made a trans-Pacific journey not previously observed for its species. Having been tagged in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, PG01 eventually made its way thousands of miles to the central east coast of Australia.

“We didn’t expect a tag showing up off Australia,” Lam said. “I would say that was 50% luck and 100% hard work. Consulting with our captains and tagging partners docked at Pier 38 in Honolulu and providing first-hand training for scientific tagging paid off.”

The tags also showed the striped marlin spent 38 and 81% of their day and night, respectively, in the top five meters of the water column.

The papers’ horizontal and vertical movement data is important for fisheries managers and stock assessment scientists, who require timely, high-quality biological and habitat data to inform population modeling and stock status.

Such data also helps identify best practices to support sustainable harvest, which could include mandated live release and time-area restrictions.

“Longline fisheries targeting tuna and swordfish benefit from any scientific information that helps to reduce unintended interaction with non-targeted catch like marlin, while pursuing economic returns on targeted catch of tuna and swordfish,” Lutcavage said.

In addition to monitoring tagged fish, researchers collected fin clips from Hawai‘i-landed striped marlin. Genetic analyses of 55 striped marlin were assigned to two genetic groups: Australia, New Zealand and Hawai‘i (19 individuals) and Hawai‘i alone (36 individuals), suggesting the Hawai‘i-based longline fleet interacted with individuals from multiple populations.

Lam, Tam and Lutcavage believe more PSAT efforts and genetics analyses are called for, to fill in the scientific gaps underscored by their latest striped marlin research. Improved technology and knowledge of the species’ biology, physiology and life history will better inform management measures for the sustainable harvest of bigeye tuna and swordfish, and a reduction of incidental catch of non-target species like the striped marlin.

South Atlantic Bite – Newsworthy Notes – May 13, 2021

May 13, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Reminder! – Public Hearing Today for Shrimp Fishery Access Area along Northern Extension of the Oculina Bank Habitat Area of Particular Concern
(Coral Amendment 10)
Today at 5:00 PM

The Council continues to seek public input on a proposed action to establish Shrimp Fishery Access Area in the northern extension of the Oculina Bank Coral HAPC off the east coast of Florida. Register now to attend the hearing via webinar and learn more about the proposed area. The Council will consider the amendment again during its June 14-18, 2021 meeting via webinar.

We’re Upgrading our Website –
Take this limited opportunity to help us better help you!

Looking for the number of black sea bass you can retain or perhaps a map showing the latest coordinates of MPAs off the NC coast? A calendar of upcoming meetings or a video presentation from a public hearing? You’ll find it all on the Council’s website at www.safmc.net.

We’re working to redesign the website to make it easier for you to navigate and provide you with the information you need. The web developers involved in the project have created a quick online activity to better understand how to group content on the website. Please complete the activity by Monday of next week.

Bullet and Frigate Mackerel Acknowledged for Important Role as Prey Species for Wahoo, Dolphin, Blue Marlin and Yellowfin Tuna

Little fish lead to bigger fish. Bluewater fishermen along the Atlantic coast targeting those really big fish understand the importance of prey to the overall well-being of those larger predators. At the request of the Council, Bullet and Frigate Mackerel, two important prey species are now included in the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan as ecosystem component species. NOAA Fisheries announced the Final Rule for Amendment 12 earlier this week. The Rule is effective June 9, 2021.

Learn more about the importance of Bullet and Frigate Mackerel and how this designation may help ensure healthy populations for the future.

New Discoveries and Management Decisions in Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program
Report to Congress highlights impressive discoveries, science-informed management decisions and more

Speak of coral reefs and most people imagine tropical waters in the Florida Keys or Hawaii. But deep-sea corals create habitat for countless species off of every coastal state in the country. In the past two years, NOAA and their partners have discovered the most expansive area of deep-sea coral reefs known to date off the U.S. Southeast coast.

These areas offer significant ecological value and support a number of U.S.-managed fishery species. The recently released Report to Congress showcases new accomplishments and scientific discoveries. Learn more about Deep-Sea Coral Habitat. Follow expeditions as they occur and see video and incredible images of areas that may be closer than you think!

Citizen Science Increasingly Informs Ocean Expertise – and Policy

A recent paper in BioScience that includes authors from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Pew, academia, and NOAA outlines marine citizen science projects that are contributing to conservation and management in the U.S. and elsewhere. Case studies include projects gathering data for fish species as well as others collecting information on sea grasses, coral reefs and other habitat.

This article from Pew highlights the Council’s Citizen Science Program as well as other citizen science efforts and increasing interest in promoting its use to conduct research projects that would not otherwise be possible.

U.S. Pacific Fishery Managers Support Changes to Address Overfishing for Striped Marlin

March 26, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

To address the relative impacts of U.S. vessels on the internationally overfished North Pacific striped marlin, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended an initial catch limit of approximately 1 million pounds (457 metric tons) in 2022. This applies to all U.S. vessels fishing north of the equator and west of 150 °W. An in-season accountability measure would also be implemented to track catch relative to the limit. Retention and landing of striped marlin would be prohibited in longline fisheries when the catch limit is projected to be reached.

Due to highly uncertain historical foreign catch and discards, the Council noted the U.S. relative impacts are unclear. This uncertainty in part will likely be reconciled in 2022 with new analyses by an international science provider. Beginning in 2023, the Council recommended a catch limit corresponding to a proportional fishery-wide reduction to end overfishing. Based on the current best scientific information available, the limit would be 690,000 pounds (313 metric tons), which the Council will specify for 2023.

U.S. Pacific fisheries, including the Hawai‘i longline fishery, landed approximately 19% of reported striped marlin catch from 2013 to 2017, including discards that only the United States reports. “The Hawai‘i fishery has a relatively small impact on the striped marlin stock,” said Council member Roger Dang, owner of longline vessels and Fresh Island Fish of Hawai‘i. “We must remain humble in what we can do and not exhaust our resources without having any real conservation benefit.”

The Council’s international recommendations to move towards ending overfishing include using circle hooks and improving standardized reporting of billfish catch and discards in all Western and Central Pacific Ocean longline fisheries. Recognizing that the United States acting alone would not end overfishing, the Council also recommended limiting Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission member catches to approximately 1.1 million pounds (500 metric tons) per year.

Presidential Executive Orders

The Council directed staff to send letters to the Department of Commerce and Department of Interior regarding President Biden’s Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The letters will address strategies and conservation of 30% of waters by 2030 and provide information on how to increase the resilience of fisheries and protected species. Regarding the President’s EO 13985 on advancing racial equality and underserved communities, the Council asked staff to review the EO as it applies to the Council’s fishery ecosystem plans, programs and Pacific Island fishing communities.

Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds emphasized that “historically, all of our indigenous people in the Western Pacific Region are underserved, marginalized and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.”

Oceanic Whitetip Sharks and Gear Changes in the Hawai‘i Longline Fishery

The Council took a step towards a regulatory change to prohibit the use of wire leaders in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery, including a requirement to remove trailing gear from Endangered Species Act-listed oceanic whitetip sharks. This supports the Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) initiative to voluntarily switch from wire to monofilament nylon leaders announced in December 2020 and helps to address the Council’s domestic obligations for the relative impacts of U.S. vessels on international overfishing of Western and Central Pacific Ocean oceanic whitetip sharks.

The Hawai‘i longline fishery uses wire leaders as a safety measure to prevent gear flyback, an unintended consequence of using required weighted branch lines. However, wire leaders make it difficult make it difficult to remove the terminal portion of the branch line from sharks and other protected species that cannot be brought on board.

A joint public comment from HLA, The Ocean Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts emphasized their shared concern for the oceanic whitetip shark stock and support for the transition of the Hawai‘i-based fleet away from wire leaders, focus on crew training and agreement on key actions needed to improve the status of the stock.

International fishery commissions have adopted nonretention measures to help conserve oceanic whitetip sharks. To further address overfishing in international longline fisheries, the Council recommended increased observer coverage in areas where risk of interactions are highest, and improved shark handling and reduction of trailing gear to further safety at sea and promote post-release shark survivability.

The Council manages federal fisheries operating in waters offshore of the State of Hawai‘i, the Territories of American Samoa and Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Areas.

Western Pacific Scientists Recommend International Actions to End Striped Marlin Overfishing

March 22, 2021 — Scientists are proposing measures to ensure Pacific fisheries end overfishing of the North Pacific striped marlin population.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee this week suggested several actions in order to satisfy the Magnuson-Stevens Act obligation both internationally via the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and domestically.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Western Pacific Scientists Recommend International Actions to End Overfishing for Striped Marlin

March 19, 2021 — HONOLULU — The following was released by the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The SSC suggested several actions to end overfishing of North Pacific striped marlin in order to satisfy the Magnuson-Stevens Act (Section 304(i)) obligation both internationally via the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and domestically. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council made these and other recommendations during its three-day virtual meeting this week.

International recommendations included improving standardized reporting of billfish catch and discards for all WCPFC fisheries; using circle hooks in all WCPFC longline fisheries; limiting WCPFC member catches to approximately 1 million pounds (500 metric tons) per year; and supporting a consultative rebuilding plan.

A new stock assessment may be provided in 2022 and the SSC proposed that discard mortality (fish that don’t survive capture and release) be included within future rebuilding scenario analyses. The SSC also recommended that future rebuilding efforts utilize a phased-in approach over several years based on a target catch rate rather than a rebuilding timeline.

To support U.S. Pacific Territory data collection efforts, the SSC recommended the integration of creel survey, commercial receipt book, biosampling and app-based data collection systems, such as the Council’s Catchit Logit app, to generate the necessary data from different segments of the fisheries. The Council, territorial fishery management agencies and NMFS are working closely to meet the requirements for stock assessments and address deficiencies in data-limited or data-poor fisheries.

The SSC also recommended supporting an experimental study to evaluate the effectiveness of various mitigation combinations to reduce seabird interactions in the Hawaiʻi shallow-set longline fishery. Currently, if setting off the stern of the boat, conservation measures require the vessel to start setting its gear one hour after sunset (night-setting), use blue-dyed bait and strategic discharge of fish parts and spent bait.

Night-setting, while considered to be a “gold standard” for seabird mitigation, prevents shallow-set longline fishermen from adjusting their setting time according to the moon phase to optimize swordfish catch. Fishermen have expressed interest in testing out a new combination of mitigation measures, including tori (bird scaring) lines, to improve operational efficiency while ensuring impacts to seabirds remain low in the fishery.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets March 23-25, 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 Drive, Hagatña, Guam. On the first day, NMFS will give a briefing on President Biden’s Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.

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.

Scientists to Set Acceptable Biological Catch for American Samoa Bottomfish and Consider Rebuilding Plan Options

November 25, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Scientists from throughout the Pacific will meet Nov. 30 to Dec. 1, 2020, to discuss fishery management issues and make management recommendations for fisheries in the Western Pacific Region. The meeting of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council 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/138th-scientific-and-statistical-committee-meeting. Among the agenda items are the following:

American Samoa Bottomfish

The SSC will set the acceptable biological catch for the American Samoa bottomfish fishery for fishing years 2021-2022. The best scientific information available for fishery management decisions is the 2019 stock assessment from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) with catch projections to 2025. Based on this information, the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) is estimated to be 20,800 pounds and the overfishing limit in 2022 is 5,000 pounds. A panel of fishermen, fishery scientists and managers evaluated the scientific uncertainties associated with the assessment and quantified a risk level for the SSC to consider.

The 2019 benchmark stock assessment found the American Samoa bottomfish fishery to be overfished and subject to overfishing. The Council, in consultation with its SSC, must develop and implement within two years a plan that would rebuild the overfished stock within 10 years. At the same time, the Council must immediately end overfishing. The current projection from NMFS shows the stock could rebuild within 10 years with an annual catch limit ranging between 0 to 1,500 pounds. NMFS has issued a final rule to implement an interim catch limit of 13,000 pounds that would reduce overfishing and allow biomass to increase while minimizing socio-economic impacts to fishing communities. At the end of the 2020 interim measure, NMFS will review the performance of the fishery and could extend the measure for an additional period not to exceed 186 days in 2021.

The SSC may provide scientific advice on potential options that could simultaneously rebuild the bottomfish stock and end overfishing.

Guam Bottomfish

The NMFS 2019 stock assessment found the Guam bottomfish stock to be overfished, but not experiencing overfishing. At its March 2020 meeting, the Council voted to specify the annual catch limit for the bottomfish fishery at 27,000 pounds for fishing years 2020 to 2023. This annual catch level would allow the biomass to rebuild to MSY within four years (2024). However, there are no accountability measures in place that would guarantee that the catch would be kept below this level. The SSC is scheduled to discuss the rebuilding plan options and may provide advice to the Council.

Oceanic Whitetip Sharks

The Council’s Oceanic Whitetip Shark Working Group met and recommended research priorities and identified improvements needed to reduce fishery impacts on the species. Incidental catches of oceanic whitetip sharks have declined since international non-retention measures were enacted throughout the Pacific. According to projections, the stock should recover if catches remain 10-20% below 2016 levels. U.S. impacts on the population are expected to remain low relative to foreign fisheries, with U.S. longline fisheries impacting 1.2% of spawning potential by 2031. Based on the working group’s findings, the SSC may have recommendations on observer coverage and improved handling of released sharks, such as reducing trailing gear.

North Pacific Striped Marlin

Based on a Council recommendation to phase in catch reductions for striped marlin, the SSC will review and may recommend catch and/or effort levels for North Pacific striped marlin and allocations for international catch limits. The stock has been internationally overfished per a 2019 NMFS stock assessment presented at the June 2020 Council meeting. The Council is required to address, within one year, relative impacts of domestic fisheries and international overfishing per the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. U.S. Pacific fisheries, including the Hawaiʻi longline fishery, landed approximately 22% of reported North Pacific striped marlin catch from 2013 to 2017.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets Dec. 2-4, 2020, virtually with host sites at BRI Building, Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI); and Tedi of Samoa Building, Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, American Samoa. Instructions on connecting to the web conference, agendas and briefing documents will be 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.

Help for Hawaii’s Fishing Industry

July 14, 2020 — When it comes to Hawaii’s homegrown food sustainability, farming operations usually come to mind. But beyond farm aid, fish aid can’t be forgotten. That’s particularly true in Hawaii, the source of coveted quality catches such as tuna, billfish (swordfish and marlin), and open-ocean fish (mahimahi, ono and opah).

Just as farmers have been hard-hit by the months-long pandemic shutdown, so, too, have fishers and related operations. The shuttering of restaurants, seafood markets and other fish outlets have left some vessels inactive in Honolulu Harbor for 3-1/2 months, with about half of the workforce laid off. The COVID-19 lockdown has caused a 50% reduction in revenue for Hawaii longline vessels over the last four months, totaling losses of more than $20 million so far.

Read the full opinion piece at Seafood News

Call for data and information – EFH Review for Pacific Coast Highly Migratory Species

July 1, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center have initiated a review of essential fish habitat (EFH) provisions in the Pacific Coast Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP).  This call for data and information is intended to support the review.

The HMS FMP, its EFH provisions, and maps can be found on the Council’s HMS webpage, under “Key Documents”.  The HMS FMP includes the following species:

  • Sharks: common thresher, shortfin mako, blue
  • Tunas: albacore, bigeye, Pacific bluefin, skipjack, yellowfin
  • Striped marlin
  • Broadbill swordfish
  • Dorado

Fishery management plans are required to identify and describe EFH for each life stage and species, identify and minimize impacts from fishing and non-fishing activities, and identify research needs, among other requirements.  A complete description of EFH provisions to be included in FMPs can be found in the EFH regulatory guidance at 50 CFR§600.815(a).  Information and data should be relevant to:

  • The habitat needs, associations and distribution FMP species listed above
  • Major prey items of species listed above
  • Adverse impacts on EFH from fishing activities and potential minimization measures
  • Adverse impacts on EFH from non-fishing activities and potential minimization measures
  • Research and information needs

Information and data sources can include published scientific literature, unpublished scientific reports, information from interested parties, and previously unavailable or inaccessible data.

Information relevant to the HMS EFH review should be submitted to Nicole Nasby-Lucas (nicole.nasby-lucas@noaa.gov) no later than Monday July 13th, 2020.  For further information, please contact Kerry Griffin (kerry.griffin@noaa.gov).

ICCAT: BIGEYE IN THE CROSS-HAIRS

November 12, 2018 — Fisheries representatives and environmental activists from around the globe will convene through November 19 for the 21st Special Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

An international treaty organization, ICCAT is responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and tuna-like pelagic species (tuna, marlin, sharks, swordfish, etc.) found in the Atlantic Ocean.

Of all the discussion, debate and deliberation this week by the participating ICCAT nations, bigeye tuna decisions will have the biggest impact on Northeast canyon fishermen next season.

Based on a recent ICCAT scientific report, bigeye tuna is currently considered overfished and subject to overfishing. The major issue however is that the current international harvest cap of 65,000 tons set by ICCAT has been exceeded by approximately 20 thousand tons.

Read the full story at The Fisherman