October 22, 2026 — In the North Sea, commercial pelagic trawlers and seals both forage for some of the same fish stocks, creating a dynamic that can pose operational, regulatory, and conservation challenges.
To mitigate the issue, fishing industry groups have teamed up with fishing gear firms to develop and adapt excluder devices, aiming to reduce seal captures in the region’s sandeel and herring fisheries, as well as bycatch of other species.
October 15, 2026 — Northeast Atlantic coastal nations have once again agreed to abide by International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) scientific advice on the blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring quotas but have yet to reach a quota-sharing agreement.
ICES released its advice on multiple Northeast Atlantic pelagic species in early October, bumping up the blue whiting advice for 2027 to 1,064,191 metric tons (MT), up from the 851,344 MT it advised in 2026; herring was increased to 588,004 MT, up 10 percent over its advice for the prior year. Coastal states including Norway, the E.U., the U.K., the Faroe Islands, and Iceland then met in London and agreed that those numbers should be the unilateral quota for 2027.
August 3, 2026 — The following was released by the The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The future of American Samoa’s fisheries depends on informed community voices.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will hold two public meetings to discuss the Large Vessel Prohibited Area, or LVPA, and hear directly from fishermen, families and island communities.
The LVPA is a federal zone around American Samoa where vessels 50 feet and longer are prohibited from fishing for tuna and other pelagic species. The Council is reviewing the current rules and boundaries under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and will consider community testimony as part of its discussions at its September meeting.
Join us for an open conversation, ask questions, share your experiences and make sure your perspective is part of the discussion.
Meeting Schedule:
● Tutuila LVPA Community Meeting
Date: August 6, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (SST)
Location: Sadie’s by the Sea Conference Room, Utulei, Tutuila
● Manu’a LVPA Community Meeting
Date: August 7, 2026 (Friday)
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (SST)
Location: Fitiuta Lodge Fale, Fitiuta, Taʻu, Manuʻa
For more information, please contact Felix Penalosa (684-733-2754).
About the Council
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional councils established under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to manage fisheries in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Council is responsible for developing and implementing fishery management plans for waters surrounding Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the CNMI and U.S. Pacific Remote Island Areas. The Council works to promote sustainable fisheries, protect marine ecosystems and support the livelihoods of fishing communities through science-based decision-making and stakeholder engagement.