Northern Mariana Islands Archives

Summary of Action Items for the 185th Council Meeting

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

Wire Leader Regulatory Amendment in Hawaiʻi Longline Fisheries (Initial Action)
US Catch Limits for North Pacific Striped Marlin (Final Action)
Environmental Assessment for the Guam Bottomfish Stock Rebuilding Plan (Final Action)
Update to the Main Hawaiian Islands Deep-Seven Bottomfish Annual Catch Limits (Initial Action)

The 185th meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will convene March 23-25, 2021, by web conference (Webex) with host sites at the following locations:

Tedi of Samoa Building Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, American Samoa
Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Drive, Hagatña, Guam
BRI Building Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St. Garapan, Saipan, CNMI

The Webex link is https://tinyurl.com/185CouncilMtg (if prompted, enter event number: 177 669 9488; password: CM185mtg).

The Council will consider and may take action on the issues summarized below (click here for a copy), including any public comments on them. Written public comments on final action items should be received by the Council’s executive director by 5 p.m. (HST), Friday, March 19, 2021, by postal mail, fax or email as indicated below.

Instructions for connecting to the Webex and providing oral public comments during the meeting will be posted on the Council website at http://www.wpcouncil.org/event/185th-council-meeting-virtual.

Mail: Ms. Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813

FAX: (808) 522-8226
E-mail: info@wpcouncil.org

1. Wire Leader Regulatory Amendment in Hawaiʻi Longline Fisheries (Initial Action)

Most vessels in the Hawaiʻi deep-set longline fishery use steel trace wire leaders in the terminal portion of the branchline between the hook and the weighted swivel to reduce the risk of crew injuries resulting from the flyback of weighted branchlines. Wire leaders also make it difficult to remove the terminal portion of the branch line from sharks or other protected species that cannot be brought on board. Longer trailing gear left on sharks and sea turtles have been shown to reduce post-hooking survivorship. Monofilament nylon leaders may facilitate early release of sharks and improve post-hooking survivorship if they sever the line and escape.

In an effort to reduce impacts to ESA-listed oceanic whitetip sharks and other protected species, the Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) announced at the 184th Council meeting in December 2020 that their member vessels will voluntarily eliminate the use of wire leaders by July 1, 2021, and use monofilament nylon leaders or other similar materials in its place. HLA also announced that it will focus on crew safety and work with vessel owners, captains and crew to utilize best practices, including deploying flyback prevention devices and branchline weight configurations and materials that would minimize flyback. In addition, HLA committed to work with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Council to lead captain and crew training on how to properly implement handling protocols.

The Council commended HLA’s comprehensive initiative to further reduce interactions and post-hooking mortality of oceanic whitetip sharks, leatherback turtles and other protected species while also addressing associated crew safety issues. The Council subsequently directed staff to prepare a regulatory amendment to the Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosytem Plan (FEP) to evaluate options to prohibit the use of wire leaders in the Hawaiʻi deep-set longline fishery for Council action at the March 2021 meeting.

At its 185th meeting, the Council will review alternatives evaluating the impacts of regulating leader material in the Hawaiʻi deep-set longline fishery, consider taking initial action and may select a preliminary preferred alternative for further analysis.

2. US Catch Limits for North Pacific Striped Marlin (Final Action)

The North Pacific striped marlin stock is overfished, experiencing overfishing and subject to an interim rebuilding plan by an international commission, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), but with no specified catch limits. The Council will consider recommendations in response to the stock status, taking into account the relative impacts of U.S. vessels, as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act. At its 184th meeting, the Council took initial action recommending a catch limit for U.S. vessels proportional to a total North Pacific stock-wide catch limit to end overfishing.

The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) developed catch-scenario projections that would end overfishing and rebuild the stock based on Council FEP and WCPFC criteria. These projections were used to develop and analyze the following alternatives for Council consideration: 1) no action, while considering U.S. impacts under the status quo, 2) annual catch limit (ACL) of 313 metric tons (mt) that corresponds to a 13.4% reduction from 2013-2017 U.S. landings, 3) ACL of 237 mt that corresponds to a 34.4% reduction from 2013-2017 U.S. landings, and 4) ACL of 457 mt, consistent with previous Council action and WCPFC criteria. These catch limits are for U.S. vessels operating in the WCPFC Convention Area and north of the equator. The Council will also consider timing of the implementation of an ACL, whether it should be applicable for fishing year 2021 or 2022.

At its 185th meeting, the Council may take final action to recommend a preferred alternative for an ACL for North Pacific striped marlin that may proportionally reduce the relative impacts of U.S. vessels and move towards ending overfishing. The Council will consider timing of implementing catch limits and if limits may be applicable for specific years (e.g., until an updated stock assessment is available or within a WCPFC rebuilding plan timeline).

3. Environmental Assessment for the Guam Bottomfish Stock Rebuilding Plan (Final Action)

At the its 184th meeting in December 2020, the Council received the options to address the overfishing bottomfish stock condition in Guam based on the 2019 Benchmark Stock Assessment (Langseth et al., 2019). The Council selected 31,000 pounds as its prelimary preferred alternative that mitigates the short-term impacts to the fishery by allowing moderate levels of take while achieving the rebuilding of the stock within the longest timeframe allowed (10 years or Tmax). Since then, working with the Action Team, Council staff received an updated biomass projection from PIFSC that is consistent with the National Standards 1 (NS1) definition of Tmax. The new information substantially changed the rebuilding timeframes of the options provided in December 2020. It extended the rebuilding timeframe for the 27,000-pound ACL from four to eight years and the 31,000-pound ACL from six to 19 years. This was due to the recreated catch data to fill in the 2020 and 2021 period to do the biomass projection starting in 2022. The high catch of 37,000 pounds in 2019 increased the three-year average catch, which was further adjusted to be consistent with the catch data used in the assessment. This makes the 31,000-pound alternative no longer compliant with the NS1 guideline to rebuild within 10 years. Council staff will present the draft amendment document with an environmental analysis.

At its 185th meeting, the Council will review the new information, reconsider its preliminary preferred alternative and will consider final action to provide NMFS with rebuilding recommendations and management measures.

4. Update to the Main Hawaiian Island Deep-Seven Bottomfish Annual Catch Limits (Initial Action)

PIFSC released the update to the main Hawaiian Islands deep-seven bottomfish stock assessment with catch and effort data updated to 2018 and fishery-independent survey data up to 2020. The stock remains healthy with the biomass reference point indicating it’s not overfished and the fishery is sustainable, with the harvest reference point indicating the fishery is not experiencing overfishing. The assessment provided alternative catch levels at different risks of overfishing from 2021 to 2025 to inform the specification of new ACLs. The Science and Statistical Committee and the Council at their March 2021 meetings will consider the new information to determine if a change in the acceptable biological catch and ACL is warranted.

The current ACL (fishing years 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21) was specified at 40% risk of overfishing, accounting for the assessment information, uncertainty characterization, stock status, productivity and susceptibility of the species in the complex and the social, economic, ecological and management uncertainties. The catch associated with this risk of overfishing is 492,000 pounds.

The catch in fishing year 2019-2020 was 161,825 pounds, which is 33% of the ACL. The catch in 2019-20 is lower than the catch in 2018-19, which is probably due to COVID-19. The stock assessment update simply added recent data and did not change the parameters covered in the Risk of Overfishing Analysis. The 40% risk of overfishing in the updated assessment resulted in an ACL of 496,000 pounds, or 4,000 pounds higher than the current ACL.

Given that the information used in the assessment update did not change the scores in the four dimensions of the scientific and management uncertainties, the stock status remained the same and the average catch is far below the ACL, at its 185th meeting, the Council may consider rolling over the current ACL of 492,000 pounds. Keeping the current ACL is more conservative, with the risk of overfishing being less than 1% lower than a 40% risk of overfishing.

WPRFMC 2021 Public Meetings Notice

February 25, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council announces the following public meetings on fisheries management in offshore waters of Hawai‘i (HI), American Samoa (AS), Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA). Unless otherwise noted, the meetings will be held by web conference. Host sites are subject to local and federal safety and health guidelines regarding COVID-19; check the Council website for updates. All times listed are local island times. For more information on the virtual meeting connection and complete agendas, click on the meeting title, or go to www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars, email info@wpcouncil.org or call (808) 522-8220.

Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Plan Team
March 3 – 4 (W – Th) 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Oceanic whitetip shark report; Wire leader amendment and seabird mitigation measures for the HI longline fishery; and North Pacific striped marlin catch limits.

Non-Commercial Fisheries Advisory Committee
March 10 (W) 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Council action items; Noncommercial data collection efforts and reporting; and Executive order and legislation potential impacts.

AS Archipelago FEP Advisory Panel (AP)
March 10 (W) 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (SST)
Major agenda items: AS bottomfish management options; Catchit Logit implementation; AS Large Vessel Prohibited Area status; AP plans; and AS fishery issues and activities.

Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
March 11 (Th) 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Council action items; Mariana Archipelago green sea turtle population status; 2021 HI small-boat survey; Bigeye tuna management in Western and Central Pacific longline fisheries workshop.

Mariana Archipelago FEP-Guam AP
March 11 (Th) 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (ChST)
Major agenda items: Guam bottomfish stock rebuilding plan; Catchit Logit implementation; AP plans; and Guam fishery issues and activities.

HI Archipelago FEP AP
March 12 (F) 9 a.m. to noon (HST)
Major agenda items: Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) deep-seven bottomfish annual catch limit (ACL) specification; Wire leader amendment and seabird mitigation measures for the HI longline fishery; North Pacific striped marlin catch limits; HI reef fish life history research report; and AP plans.

Mariana Archipelago FEP-CNMI AP
March 13 (Sat) 9 a.m. to noon (ChST)
Major agenda items: Guam bottomfish update; Catchit Logit implementation; AP plans; and CNMI fishery issues and activities.

139th Scientific & Statistical Committee
Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/139SSCMtg. If prompted, password SSC139mtg.
March 16 – 18 (T – Th) 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: MHI deep-seven bottomfish acceptable biological catch update (action item); Guam bottomfish rebuilding plan impact analysis (action item); Wire leader amendment for the HI longline fishery (action item); and North Pacific striped marlin catch limits (action item).

Pelagic & International Standing Committee
March 22 (M) 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Wire leader amendment for the HI longline fishery (action item); and North Pacific striped marlin catch limits (action item).

Executive & Budget Standing Committee
March 22 (M) 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Financial and administrative matters; Coral critical habitat working group; and Council family changes.

185th Council Meeting
Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/185CouncilMtg.
If prompted, password CM185mtg.
Host sites: Tedi of Samoa Bldg., Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, AS
BRI Bldg., Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, CNMI
Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Drive, Hagatña, Guam
March 23 – 25 (T – Th) 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: MHI deep-seven bottomfish ACL update (action item); Guam bottomfish rebuilding plan environmental assessment (action item); Wire leader amendment for the HI longline fishery (action item); and North Pacific striped marlin catch limits (action item).

Written comments on final action items on the 185th Council meeting agenda received by March 19, 2021, will be distributed to Council members prior to meeting. Direct comments to Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director, WPRFMC, and mail to 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, fax to (808) 522-8226 or email to info@wpcouncil.org. Written comments on all other agenda items may be submitted for the record by email throughout the duration of the meeting.

Proposal To Protect Pacific Corals Exempts Military Training Areas

February 18, 2021 — A National Marine Fisheries Service proposal to designate 230 square miles of critical habitat for seven threatened coral species in the Pacific Ocean is getting mixed reviews from environmental advocates due to an exemption for military training areas.

The unprecedented initiative would be a milestone for groups fighting to preserve the coral species, which are threatened by warming seas and ocean acidification fueled by climate change. But critics say the military should have to adhere to the same rules and called for more public hearings before a decision is made.

The designated critical habitats are located in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and other U.S. Pacific islands.

“The proposal does not accurately reflect the cumulative impacts of the proposed federal activities that will take place in the area that may affect the survival of these coral species,” Guam Sen. Sabina Flores Perez said in her public testimony on the proposal.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat

$980K aid available to fishermen

December 1, 2020 — Gov. Ralph DLG Torres announced yesterday the allocation of $980,000 in CARES Act funds to assist commercial and subsistence fishermen in the CNMI—estimated to be in the thousands—who’ve been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Torres said at a press conference that the money is available after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approved the CNMI’s “spending plan” for the money it got from the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security Act.

Torres said all resident fishermen and qualified fishing businesses who sustained losses are eligible.

Qualifying businesses refer to commercial fishing businesses, charter-for-hire fishing businesses, qualified aquaculture businesses, fish processors, and dealers.

All eligible applicants will receive assistance based on an approved formula that will determine the amounts of help for businesses and individual fishermen.

Application distribution will begin tomorrow, Wednesday, and the deadline to submit applications is March 1, 2021.

The distribution of assistance checks will be made directly via mail from the NOAA Hawaii Office to approved businesses and fishermen between May 3 and June 16, 2021.

Read the full story at the Saipan Tribune

WPRFMC: Community Stakeholders Discuss Issues Key to Sustainable Fisheries

November 5, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recently convened three virtual meetings in its continued efforts to support regional and local fishing and seafood communities. The meetings highlight the Council’s emphasis on collaboration among agencies and promoting stakeholder involvement in the fishery management process.

The Fishing Industry Advisory Committee (FIAC) is one of three advisory bodies to the Council required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act that provides input and recommendations on management and conservation actions from an industry perspective. Members include representatives from Hawaiʻi, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam in industry-related sectors such as fishing, seafood processing, distribution and marketing industries, fishing tackle and marine service and supply providers.

The Non-Commercial Fisheries Advisory Committee (NCFAC) has existed in a simpler form since 1999, but its purpose has now expanded from gathering recreational fishing data in Hawaiʻi to providing advice to the Council on non-commercial fishery issues, data collection and research. The Council also met with the State of Hawaiʻi and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to discuss improving state and federal fishery management coordination and filling regulatory and monitoring gaps.

FIAC members emphasized the tremendous impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on fishing and marketing. They put forward several recommendations to the Council, including supporting a Pacific Island-wide seafood promotion program, improving harbor safety and management, redesigning fish aggregating devices to be more environmentally responsible and ensuring industry representation on the national NMFS Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee.

The NCFAC meeting focused on the Council’s current data collection efforts and needs and research priorities. Committee members noted that smart device applications and electronic monitoring could be incorporated into existing data collection systems. The voluntary Hawaii Marine Recreational Fishing Survey collects non-commercial catch data, but garnering participation continues to be an issue. Members suggested increasing outreach efforts to fishermen regarding data usage to demystify the fishery management process, encourage participation and instill a sense of pride that they are part of the solution.

At the Council meeting with the State of Hawaii and NMFS representatives, participants acknowledged continuing data gaps and identified several areas where federal and state rules could be better aligned, especially in the non-commercial small-boat fisheries. While accurate, timely catch and effort data from fishermen is important for improving stock assessments and to minimize management uncertainty, some discrepancies still exist. For example, the Hawaiʻi longline and bottomfish fishermen report their fishing trip information within 72 hours of landing; and fishermen with state commercial marine licenses catching pelagics, uku, Kona crab and other species continue to report on a monthly basis.

All three groups plan to regularly meet and continue to address fishing community needs.

3 students earn fisheries scholarships

May 4, 2020 — Three college students have been named recipients of the 2020-2021 U.S. Pacific Territories Fishery Capacity-Building Scholarship.

The recipients are:

Aveipepa Fua, of American Samoa, who will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marine science at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo;
Jude Lizama, of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, who will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in oceanography with a concentration in fisheries science at Hawai’i Pacific University; and
Leilani Sablan, of Guam, who will be pursuing a master’s degree in biology at the University of Guam.

Read the full story at The Guam Daily Post

Council Announces Three Winners for 2020-2021 US Pacific Territories Fishery Capacity-Building Scholarship

May 1, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2020-2021 US Pacific Territories Fishery Capacity-Building Scholarship. The scholarships are offered annually to college students with close connections to American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) who are pursuing degrees that will bolster the Territories’ capacity to manage their fishery ecosystems. Students who accept a scholarship agree to work with their local fishery agency upon graduation for an equivalent amount of time that they receive the scholarship.

The 2020-2021 recipients include Aveipepa Fua (American Samoa) who will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marine science at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo; Jude Lizama (CNMI) who will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in oceanography with a concentration in fisheries science at Hawai’i Pacific University; and Leilani Sablan (Guam) who will be pursuing a master’s degree in biology at the University of Guam.

Since the scholarship program began in 2016, five recipients have graduated, with three having fulfilled their work requirements in American Samoa and the CNMI and two beginning their work commitment in 2019; and six recipients are poised to graduate in 2020 (two students) and 2021 (four students).

The scholarship program was established through a memorandum of understanding involving several federal agencies, the local fishery agencies in the Territories and several colleges and universities in Hawai’i and the Territories. It is funded by the Council, NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office.

Researchers and Feds to Address Quality of Science Used to Manage US Pacific Island Fisheries

October 10, 2019 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Scientists from throughout the Pacific region will meet Oct. 15 to 17, 2019, in Honolulu to address the quality of the data used to manage federal fisheries and other topics. 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.

The lack of sufficient data to manage fisheries has been a continued concern, especially in the US Territories of American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Federal law requires that annual catch limits (ACLs) be set for each federally managed fish species. Typically, limits are based on stock assessments, but these are lacking for most of the hundreds of coral reef species caught in the islands.

In 2018, based on the Council’s recommendation, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) reduced the number of species requiring ACLs from 205 species or families to 11 in American Samoa, from 227 species or families to 13 in the Mariana Archipelago (Guam and the CNMI) and from 173 species or families to 20 in the Hawai’i Archipelago. The species no longer requiring ACLs are now considered “ecosystem components.” They are being monitored until additional information is available to assess their stock status. By reducing the current need for ACLs to dozens of species, scientists and managers are able to allocate more resources to improving the datasets for those species without stock assessments.

One such effort is a recent review organized by the Council and NMFS on the quality, relevance and performance of the data collection systems in the US Pacific Territories. At the SSC meeting, the co-chairs of the review will report on the recommendations from that week-long effort by a panel of experts in the field. Key among these is the need to collect total catch and effort from fisheries targeting the key species by requiring mandatory reporting from fishers and vendors rather than relying on creel surveys. This recommendation is in line with actions taken by the three governments of the three US Territories to improve available information by instituting or considering mandatory permit and reporting requirements.

Another effort is the ongoing Council-sponsored biosampling studies on O’ahu and Maui by Poseidon Fisheries Research (PFR). From July 2018 to July 2019, PFR measured and weighed 10,256 fish on O’ahu, comprising 69 different “ecosystem component” species and 14 families. On Maui, as of August 2019, PFR measured 407 fish and worked with the marine biology class at Kamehameha Schools on that island to sample 91 fish from five species for life history information, e.g., sex, reproduction, size and age. Due to these efforts, the first life history article on palani (ringtail surgeonfish) and pualu (eyestripe surgeonfish) will be published in a journal.

Other items on the SSC agenda

The NMFS Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center’s new stock assessment for the federally managed bottomfish species in American Samoa, Guam and CNMI shows a pessimistic stock status for American Samoa and Guam. The SSC will review the assessment and the Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review panel’s report on it and decide whether this new assessment constitutes the best scientific information available for fishery management decisions.
The SSC will review and consider the implications of a new model for loggerhead and leatherback turtle interactions in the Hawai’i shallow-set longline fishery for swordfish.
The SSC will review and may make recommendations regarding the stock status ofoceanic whitetip sharks (a species listed under the Endangered Species Act) and blue marlin.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets Oct. 22 to 24, 2019, at the Tauese P. F. Sunia Ocean Center in Utulei, American Samoa. 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.

Hawaii Tuna Fishermen Want Higher Quotas

December 4, 2018 — Hawaii’s longliners caught their quota for bigeye tuna early again this year. But that may not be an issue going forward if U.S. officials can negotiate a higher limit next week with an international fisheries commission.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat

Blown Deadlines Weaken Hawaii’s Voice On Federal Fishery Council

June 28, 2017 — Hawaii will soon have less influence in setting national policies that affect everything from commercial fishing to endangered species in nearly 1.5 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean.

Gov. David Ige’s administration twice missed deadlines to submit to federal officials a list of names to fill two at-large terms that expire in August on the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

The seats have historically been held by Hawaii residents. Instead, they will be filled from the lists provided by the governors of American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. Guam, the other U.S. territory represented on the council, did not nominate anyone.

Environmentalists see it as a missed opportunity for Ige to rebalance the council, which has long weighed heavier on the side of the commercial fishing industry than conservation. Others view it as a blown chance for Hawaii’s longline tuna fishermen to maintain their grip on the council’s direction.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat