Saving Seafood

HAWAII: Marine debris team joins the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project to remove fishing nets from coral reefs

August 30, 2021 — NOAA and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project partner to remove derelict fishing nets from coral reefs across the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

Scientists and divers from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center are teaming up with divers from the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project for a 30-day mission to remove marine debris from the islands and atolls within the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

The team departed Honolulu on the M/V Imua on Tuesday. We expect the ship to return with more than 110,000 pounds of derelict fishing gear and other marine debris at the end of September.

The 2021 marine debris removal mission will focus on surveying for and removing marine debris from coral reefs and coastal environments. They will be working on Kamole (Laysan Island), Kamokuokamohoali‘i (Maro Reef), Kapou (Lisianski Island), Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll), Holaniku (Kure Atoll), and Manawai (Pearl and Hermes Atoll).

Read the full story at KITV

Kui ‘ia ka lei moku e Kanaloa: The Ocean Unites Humanity to Clean Up Marine Debris

August 26, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Scientists and divers from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center are teaming up with divers from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project. They are on a 30-day mission to remove marine debris from the islands and atolls within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The team departed Honolulu on the M/V Imua on August 24, 2021. We expect the ship to return with more than 110,000 pounds of derelict fishing gear and other marine debris at the end of September. The team will focus on removing derelict fishing nets (ghost nets) and other entanglement hazards, which threaten green sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals. They will be removed from coral reef environments shallower than 30 feet using breath-hold (free-dive) techniques.

Read the full release here

HAWAII: Researchers return from expedition to Papahanaumokuakea with a sense of hope

August 25, 2021 — Scientists that recently returned to Oahu from a 20-day research expedition to Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument now have some valuable images and data — and a new sense of hope.

The group of scientists headed out on a rare trip from Aug. 1 to 20 aboard the charter vessel Imua for the second half of a two-part summer research project led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. This trip followed another one in July.

It was the first time a team was able to return to the French Frigate Shoals, or Lalo, to observe what has happened since researchers in 2019 discovered the devastating impacts on reefs due to Hurricane Walaka the prior year.

That year, researchers were shocked to discover Rapture Reef, previously one of the most beautiful, diverse reefs in the isles, turned into a wasteland of coral rubble, with no signs of fish or life, by the Category 3 hurricane that passed through in October 2018.

What they found two years later were exciting, promising signs of nature’s resilience.

“Researchers haven’t been able to get back up there until now because of COVID restrictions and limited ship time,” said chief scientist Jason Leonard. “So they were quite amazed an area totally devastated was making a slow recovery. “

Read the full story at the Honolulu Star Advertiser

Native Hawaiian researchers take a groundbreaking field trip to Papahanaumokuakea

August 19, 2021 — Nine researchers and community members recently traveled to Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument for a 15-day expedition.

It was a groundbreaking field trip. All of them are Native Hawaiians.

“Together as a group of Native Hawaiians we went up there to really assess and to learn from the place through a Hawaiian perspective,” Haunani Kane said.

Kane is an assistant professor at Arizona State University’s Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science. She led the study.

“When you look at the representation of native people that get PhD’s in ocean and earth sciences, we aren’t represented by number. We’re represented by two letters, ‘NA,’ because there’s less than 20 of us in the world that’s pursuing this research,” she said.

The team documented conditions on the eastern side of the monument that was hit hard in 2018 by Hurricane Walaka, especially East island.

Kane said the perspective is very different when you see it in person as opposed to looking at satellite imagery.

“When you go out there and you are able to stand there on the island and see it from sea level, you see that the island still is not as tall as it was before, which is really important for sea-level rise, for high tide and things like that,” she said.

Read the full story at Hawaii News Now

HAWAII: Nuisance algae threatens native coral reefs at Papahanaumokuakea

August 17, 2021 — Native coral ecosystems in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument are being threatened by an invasive species that’s become a big problem in a short amount of time.

Researchers recently completed a 20-day expedition to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and were alarmed to see how the monument’s reefs are being impacted by a mysterious algae.

“It’s never been recorded anywhere before,” said Brian Hauk, Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research resource protection specialist. “There’s no record of it in scientific publications or journals or research books, any of that kind of stuff. Nobody knows what this stuff is.”

Little is known about the nuisance algae classified as “chondria tumulosa.”

Read the full story at Hawaii News Now

WesPac discusses catch limits

July 26, 2021 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and managers of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM) agreed to work together to develop a draft management plan ahead of the formal sanctuary proposal process scheduled to start this fall.

In December 2020, President Trump signed a funding bill that would strengthen protections for the monument by designating it as a national marine sanctuary.

While the PMNM, and its subsequent expansion, was established via presidential proclamation, the sanctuary proposal process is a bottoms-up approach to management similar to the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and would give the council “a seat at the table” to propose regulations for the entire area.

“After the 2016 expansion allowing recreational and subsistence fishing, we engaged with fishermen and Native Hawaiian communities about fishing in the expanded area,” said council Executive Director Kitty Simonds. “We had sessions about customary exchange, but didn’t get much traction.”

This is allowed in the Marianas Trench and Rose Atoll Marine National Monuments.

Read the full story at Lahaina News

Back to the Field: NOAA Biologists Return to Papahānaumokuākea to Study and Protect Hawaiʻi Wildlife

July 16, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

A team of biologists from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center is setting off for a field season in the remote islands of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The team departed Honolulu on the M/V Kahana II July 10, and the ship will return August 6. However, most of the biologists will stay behind for a season of hard work collecting data on some of the iconic threatened and endangered species of Hawaiʻi—Hawaiian green sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals.

The Work of NOAA Field Biologists in the Monument

The primary goal of this research cruise is to set up biological field camps at five sites within the monument:

  1. Lalo (French Frigate Shoals)
  2. Kamole (Laysan Island)
  3. Kapou (Lisianski Island)
  4. Manawai (Pearl and Hermes Reef)
  5. Hōlanikū (Kure Atoll)

Setting up camp on these remote islands is a big undertaking—each camp needs tents and all of the food, fresh water, scientific equipment, and safety supplies that teams of three to seven biologists will need for their stay of over 2 months. The research cruise team will also conduct monk seal surveys at islands where they do not establish camps—Nihoa, Mokumanamana (Necker) and Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll).

Once camps are established, the real work begins. Hawaiian monk seal biologists at the five camps will survey the islands to get an accurate count of monk seals. They will also monitor moms and pups to track reproductive success and attach identification tags to seals’ flippers to help track individuals through their lives. At two of the sites (Lalo and Pearl and Hermes Reef), the team will use an underwater device (sound trap) to record monk seal vocalizations and understand the noises they hear.

Marine turtle biologists will join a team of two who have been at Lalo since early spring. The turtle team will count and tag male turtles and nesting female turtles, monitor nest success, and collect samples from hatchling turtles.

Read the full release here

Western Pacific Council, Marine Monument Managers Collaborate on Draft Management Plan

June 29, 2021 — A new agreement will improve recreational and subsistence access to a central Pacific marine monument, but commercial fisheries will still be shut out.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and managers of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument agreed last week to work together at a meeting in Honolulu. The two entities agreed to develop a draft management plan ahead of the formal sanctuary proposal process scheduled to start this fall. In December 2020, President Trump signed a funding bill that would strengthen protections for the monument by designating it as a national marine sanctuary, the Council said in a press release.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Native Hawaiian culture woven into marine area plan

June 28, 2021 — Co-trustees of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument recently released Mai Ka Po Mai, a historic-guidance document that will help federal and state agencies further integrate Native Hawaiian culture into all areas of management of the 582,578-square-mile protected region in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

“Mai Ka Po Mai is a groundbreaking document,” said Dr. Sylvia Hussey, Office of Hawaiian Affairs CEO and ka pouhana in a press release.

“This document demonstrates that providing Native Hawaiian voices equal footing with federal and state entities in a complex management structure can lead to the successful stewardship of our most precious natural and cultural resources,” she said.

”Moreover, it shows that traditional indigenous resource management is a best-management practice to address climate change and other environmental challenges currently facing humanity. We hope that this stewardship approach is replicated elsewhere in Hawai‘i and throughout the globe.”

Mai Ka Po Mai establishes a collaborative management framework for incorporating Native Hawaiian culture into the stewardship of Papahanaumokuakea for the four monument co-trustees: the federal Department of Commerce and Department of the Interior, state of Hawai‘i and OHA.

Read the full story at The Garden Island

Western Pacific Council and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Managers Collaborate to Draft Management Plan

June 28, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and managers of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) agreed to work together yesterday at a meeting in Honolulu to develop a draft management plan ahead of the formal sanctuary proposal process scheduled to start this fall. In December 2020, President Trump signed a funding bill that would strengthen protections for the monument by designating it as a national marine sanctuary.

While the PMNM, and its subsequent expansion, was established via presidential proclamation, the sanctuary proposal process is a bottoms-up approach to management similar to the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and would give the Council “a seat at the table” to propose regulations for the entire area.

“After the 2016 expansion allowing recreational and subsistence fishing, we engaged with fishermen and native Hawaiian communities about fishing in the expanded area,” said Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds. “We had sessions about customary exchange, but didn’t get much traction.” This is allowed in the Marianas Trench and Rose Atoll Marine National Monuments.

The Council will collaborate with NOAA to prioritize issues and develop potential management actions for the proposed sanctuary, keeping in mind the sideboards of the original monument proclamation, such as the prohibition of commercial fishing.

Bigeye Tuna Catch Limits
The Council recommended setting a bigeye tuna longline catch limit of 2,000 metric tons (4.4 million pounds) for each of the U.S. Participating Territories of American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. A limit of 1,500 metric tons (3.3 million pounds) per territory, up to 3,000 metric tons total, may be transferred to U.S. vessels as permitted through specified fishing agreements. Monies from these agreements, approved by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, go into the Western Pacific Sustainable Fisheries Fund and are used to implement projects in each territory’s marine conservation plan.

A 2020 assessment for the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) bigeye tuna says the stock is healthy—not subject to overfishing or overfished.

For 2023 to 2026, the Council supported not setting a bigeye tuna catch limit for the U.S. Participating Territories, and allowing each region to transfer up to 1,500 metric tons (4,500 metric tons total) to U.S. permitted vessels. This recognizes that a new Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission conservation and management measure for tropical tunas is likely beginning in 2022, and stock assessments for WCPO bigeye tuna are expected in 2023 and 2026.

Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish Catch Limits
The Council recommended that NOAA implement the 492,000-pound annual catch limit with an in-season accountability measure for fishing years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24. According to a 2022 assessment, the stock is healthy—not overfished and no overfishing is occurring. It is estimated at 22 million pounds, nearly 2 million more pounds than the last assessment done in 2018.

Presidential Executive Orders
NOAA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs Sam Rauch summarized the multi-agency Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful report that provides recommendations on how the United States should achieve the goal of conserving at least 30% of waters by 2030. The report resulted from President Biden’s Executive Order (EO) 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.

Rauch posed several key questions for future engagement, including an evaluation of currently effective conservation actions and areas that meet the conservation criteria, among others. While the initiatives described in the report are not new, he emphasized the critical role of the regional fishery management councils in reaching the goals of the president, and noted it was a recognition justly earned for work done over the years.

Regarding the president’s EO 13985 and EO 14031 on advancing racial equality and underserved communities, the Council agreed to inform the Biden Administration of the barriers to providing equity, justice and opportunity to those in the Western Pacific Region. More than 75% of the region’s population identifies as indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander or other persons of color—all groups that fall under the EO’s definition of underserved communities that have historically been denied equitable treatment.

For years, Council leadership has reminded Administrations that “we are not asking for more, we are asking for different” to effectively support our Pacific communities.

The Council heard a presentation on EO 13985 that described equity barriers such as limited capacity, communication differences, available funding opportunities, regional representation and rigid national policies, among others. Members were reminded of Council-supported initiatives, like fishery development projects and territorial scholarships, aimed at addressing economic, social and educational disparities in the region.

“A perfect example of this is Guam fishermen’s applications for the CARES Act economic relief funds,” noted Michael Dueñas, Council member from Guam. “Initially, only 270 fishers applied due to lack of access to technology and language barriers. After extensive outreach, that number increased to 468.”

For meeting agenda and briefing materials, visit www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars.