Saving Seafood

2026 Pacific Coral Surveys Complete

September 16, 2026 — The following was released by the NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA scientists returned from American Samoa and the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument after conducting coral reef monitoring surveys. The team sailed south from Honolulu to Jarvis Island, Palmyra Atoll, and Kingman Reef, where they completed their suite of surveys. After a 2,000 kilometer transit down to American Samoa, they visited the islands of Tutuila, Ofu, Olosega, Tau, Swains, and Rose atoll. On the way back to Honolulu, scientists stopped at Howland and Baker Islands to wrap up their surveys in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.

To better understand these coral reef ecosystems, scientists:

  • Counted fish
  • Photographed coral
  • Collected water samples
  • Swapped out oceanographic instruments
  • Collected juvenile fish

You can revisit their journey through an interactive StoryMap.

Council Advances Fishing Access, Reviews Key Regulations

September 16, 2026 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council today advanced actions on fishing access in Pacific marine national monuments and reviews of Hawai‘i longline and American Samoa bottomfish regulations. The Council deferred action on fishing regulations for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) and Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary (NMS), and Hawai‘i and American Samoa longline sea turtle measures, until Wednesday to allow additional discussion.

A recurring theme was that removing a monument-based prohibition or an individual regulatory requirement does not remove the broader suite of federal fishery regulations. Fisheries remain subject to applicable requirements for permits, reporting, catch limits, gear, monitoring and protected species.

The actions follow Presidential Proclamation 11035, “Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific,” and Executive Order 14276, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.”

Fishing in Marine National Monuments and the Sanctuary
The Council discussed next steps for managing fisheries in the NWHI once monument-based commercial fishing prohibitions are removed, including how existing Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), monument and sanctuary requirements would work together. Members discussed the existing federal fishery regulations, potential costs and administrative needs of reopening fisheries, and the information needed to support sustainable management.

“Operating costs are a major consideration,” explained Council staff Mark Mitsuyasu. “We’re looking at who currently has the vessels, experience and capacity to participate, as well as costs such as crew, fuel and ice.” He added that about 80% of the historically fishable NWHI bottomfish area is in federal waters.

“This area is so large,” said Eric Kingma, Council member and Hawaii Longline Association executive director. “There are areas of the NWHI the Hawai‘i longline fleet would not go to — it’s just too far. There are more scientifically based approaches to manage the area while meeting protection objectives, conservation objectives, as well as supporting people’s livelihoods and Hawai‘i’s food security.”

The Council also discussed a request from NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries for the Council to consider fishing regulations for the Papahānaumokuākea NMS.

Members expressed frustration that Office of National Marine Sanctuaries staff did not participate in the meeting and was unavailable to answer questions about the agency’s request. Council Vice Chair Will Sword called their absence “very disconcerting.” NMFS Regional Administrator Sarah Malloy said the agency could address some questions but might be unable to answer detailed questions about sanctuary policies and processes.

Around Muliāva (Rose Atoll), overlapping monument and American Samoa Large Vessel Prohibited Area (LVPA) regulations have created confusion over which restrictions apply. The Council clarified that large vessels with American Samoa longline limited-entry permits would be allowed to fish from 12 to 50 nautical miles once NMFS removes monument-based commercial fishing prohibitions under Proclamation 11035. The Council endorsed NMFS regulatory housekeeping to make that access clear in federal regulations.

Council Chair Nathan Ilaoa noted that conditions have changed substantially since the LVPA was established in 2002, when more than 20 larger longline vessels and more than 40 smaller alia longline vessels were operating. In 2025, only six American Samoa-owned larger longline vessels were active, and no alia longline vessels have operated since 2020.

“We’re talking about a small local fleet, the South Pacific albacore stock is healthy and existing protections remain in place,” Ilaoa said. “If conditions change again, we can take additional action.”

The clarification applies only to large vessels in the American Samoa longline limited-entry program. Waters within 12 nautical miles of Muliāva remain closed to fishing.

For the Islands Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, the Council will work with the Northern Islands Mayor’s Office to review existing MSA regulations and consider whether future management changes are necessary or appropriate for the conservation and long-term health and stability of Northern Island fisheries and monument resources.

Hawai‘i Swordfish Retention Limit
The Council reviewed the Hawai‘i deep-set longline swordfish retention limit for final action at its December 2026 meeting. Current rules cap unobserved deep-set trips at 25 swordfish with circle hooks and 10 with other hook types, while observed trips have no limit. The analysis will also examine sea turtle interactions in relation to swordfish catch rates and seasonality.

The limit was originally intended to discourage vessels switching from deep-set tuna to shallow-set swordfish fishing. Regulations prohibit at-sea gear switching, require vessels to declare their fishing method before departure and mandate circle hooks; the fleet is also moving toward electronic monitoring. Any change to the retention limit would leave other permitting, reporting, monitoring and protected species requirements in place.

During discussion, Kingma suggested looking more closely at the relatively few trips that approached or exceeded the 25-swordfish limit to see whether sea turtle interaction rates differed. He also recommended examining seasonal catch patterns, particularly during April and May when deep-set swordfish catches can increase.

The Council also recommended single-species annual catch limits for nine assessed American Samoa bottomfish management unit species for fishing years 2027–2030, based on analyses that account for scientific and management uncertainty. Together, the nine ACLs total 50,200 pounds per fishing year. All recent catches are well below these limits. Final action is planned for the December Council meeting.

The 208th Council meeting continues through Sept. 17, 2026.

How to Join
📍 In Person: (Host Sites)
Council Office, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, Hawaii
Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Drive, Hagatna, Guam
BRI Building Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St. Garapan, Saipan, CNMI
💻 Online: Via Webex: https://tinyurl.com/208CouncilMtg, Event password: CM208mtg
📜 Agenda & Documents: www.wpcouncil.org/event/208th-council-meeting

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council: Secretary of Commerce appointees from nominees selected by American Samoa, the CNMI, Guam and Hawai‘i governors: Roger Dang, Fresh Island Fish Co. (Hawai‘i) (vice chair); Edgar Feliciano, Feli Fisheries Inc. (American Samoa); Eric Kingma, Hawaii Longline Association (Hawai‘i); Frank Perez, AC Sales and Service, (Guam); Matt Ramsey, Conservation International (Hawai‘i); Jesse Rosario, fisherman (Guam); and Will Sword, American Samoa Power Authority (American Samoa) (vice chair). Designated state officials: Ryan Kanaka‘ole, Hawai‘i Dept. of Land & Natural Resources; Sylvan Igisomar, CNMI Dept. of Lands & Natural Resources (vice chair); Nathan Ilaoa, American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources (chair); and Chelsa Muña, Guam Dept. of Agriculture (vice chair). Designated federal officials (voting): Sarah Malloy, NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office. Designated federal officials (nonvoting): RADM Wayne Arguin Jr., U.S. Coast Guard Oceania District; Jeremy Raynal, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Rachel Ryan, U.S. State Dept.; and Barry Thom, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Western Pacific Scientists to Review Fishing Rules and Bottomfish Catch

September 5, 2026 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Where can large fishing vessels operate around American Samoa? How much bottomfish can be sustainably caught there in the coming years? What science will guide the future of fishing in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands?

These are some of the questions the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will discuss Sept. 8–10, 2026, in Honolulu. The public can attend in person or online to hear how scientists review the information behind upcoming Council decisions affecting fisheries in Hawai‘i and American Samoa.

Agenda Highlights
Fishing Rules in American Samoa and the NWHI
The SSC will review possible changes to the American Samoa Large Vessel Prohibited Area around Rose Atoll and existing fishing rules in the NWHI.

For American Samoa, the discussion will focus on whether and how fishing access for larger vessels should change around Rose Atoll. The LVPA was established to reduce competition between large longline vessels and smaller-scale alia vessels. For the NWHI, the SSC will look at whether existing bottomfish and pelagic fishing rules still make sense today and what additional information may be needed. The committee may recommend options or identify science needed before the Council acts.

American Samoa Bottomfish Catch
The SSC will consider an acceptable biological catch (ABC) for American Samoa bottomfish for 2027–2030. A 2026 stock assessment update found that the fishery is not overfished and is not experiencing overfishing. The ABC is the SSC’s science-based recommendation for how much can be caught sustainably, accounting for scientific uncertainty. The Council then considers management uncertainty and other factors when setting the annual catch limit, which may be lower than the ABC.

Main Hawaiian Islands Deep-Seven Bottomfish
The SSC will also help set up the independent scientific review of an updated main Hawaiian Islands deep-seven bottomfish stock assessment expected later this year. The committee will review the terms of reference for the Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review and may nominate scientists to serve on the review panel. This process helps ensure the science used in future fishery decisions is sound and thoroughly reviewed.

What Science Is Needed for Upcoming Management Decisions?
The SSC will also identify research, monitoring and analysis needed to meet Magnuson-Stevens Act requirements and address emerging fishery management needs and priorities.

These include future management of areas recently reopened to commercial fishing, as well as developing pelagic fishery actions identified under the federal Executive Order on “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.” Potential changes aimed at reducing regulatory burdens on domestic fishing include revisions to sea turtle measures in the Hawai‘i shallow-set and American Samoa longline fisheries and to the swordfish retention limit in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery.

The SSC will also rank regional research priorities to help focus future scientific work on the questions that matter most for fishery management.

How to Join
In-Person: Council Office, 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI
Online: Via Webex: https://tinyurl.com/161SSCMtg, Event password: SSC161mtg
Get the Full Agenda & Documents: www.wpcouncil.org/event/161st-scientific-and-statistical-committee-meeting

The SSC provides advice to the Council, which will meet virtually Sept. 15-17, 2026, with host sites in Hawai‘i, American Samoa, Guam and the CNMI. More information is available at www.wpcouncil.org/event/208th-council-meeting.

Scientific and Statistical Committee: James Lynch (chair); Debra Cabrera (University of Guam); Frank Camacho (University of Guam); Courtney Carothers (University of Alaska Fairbanks); Milani Chaloupka (University of Queensland); Cathy Dichmont (Cathy Dichmont Consulting); Erik Franklin (University of Hawai‘i); Shelton Harley (Fisheries Consultant); Jason Helyer (Hawai‘i Div. of Aquatic Resources); Ray Hilborn (University of Washington); Alister Hunt (Finology); Dave Itano (Fisheries Consultant); Keena Leon Guerrero (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Div. of Fish & Wildlife); Domingo Ochavillo (American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources); Graham Pilling (The Pacific Community); Jim Roberts (Anemone Consulting); Justin Suca (University of Hawai‘i); Robin Waples (University of Washington); Charles Littnan (ex-officio) (National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center).

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council: Secretary of Commerce appointees from nominees selected by American Samoa, the CNMI, Guam and Hawai‘i governors: Roger Dang, Fresh Island Fish Co. (Hawai‘i) (vice chair); Edgar Feliciano, Feli Fisheries Inc. (American Samoa); Eric Kingma, Hawaii Longline Association (Hawai‘i); Frank Perez, AC Sales and Service, (Guam); Matt Ramsey, Conservation International (Hawai‘i); Jesse Rosario, fisherman (Guam); and Will Sword, American Samoa Power Authority (American Samoa) (vice chair). Designated state officials: Ryan Kanaka‘ole, Hawai‘i Dept. of Land & Natural Resources; Sylvan Igisomar, CNMI Dept. of Lands & Natural Resources (vice chair); Nathan Ilaoa, American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources (chair); and Chelsa Muña, Guam Dept. of Agriculture (vice chair). Designated federal officials (voting): Sarah Malloy, NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office. Designated federal officials (nonvoting): RADM Wayne Arguin Jr., U.S. Coast Guard Oceania District; Jeremy Raynal, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Rachel Ryan, U.S. State Dept.; and Barry Thom, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Council recommends opening US Pacific marine monuments to commercial fishing

April 15, 2026 — A U.S. fishing regulator recently recommended allowing commercial fishing across all four of the country’s Pacific marine national monuments.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac) said the move is “about restoring sustainable fishing.” Conservationists and native peoples, however, say it will damage some of Earth’s most pristine ocean ecosystems.

The monuments — Pacific Islands Heritage, Rose Atoll, Marianas Trench, and Papahānaumokuākea —  cover 3.1 million square kilometers (1.2 million square miles) of coral atolls, deep-sea trenches and remote islands.

Read the full article at Mongabay

Council to reopen monument waters to commercial fishing

March 27, 2026 — After hearing roughly 70 public comments, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WESPAC) has taken final action to restore commercial fishing access across several U.S. Pacific marine national monuments– marking a significant shift for fleets that have operated under long-standing closures.

The Council voted at its 206th meeting to recommend reopening portions of the Pacific Islands Heritage, Rose Atoll, Marinas Trench, and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monuments to federally managed commercial fisheries.

“This is not about removing monument protections – it’s about restoring sustainable fishing in limited areas under fishery regulations the Council has developed over decades,” said Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds. “Those regulations were built to balance access and conservation, and that remains the Council’s guiding principle under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Fishing Prohibitions Unfair: Council Pushes for Analysis of Fishing in Marine Monuments

December 17, 2025 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council today took another step toward restoring sustainable commercial fishing in waters within several Pacific marine national monuments, considered pristine when they were established. The Council directed its staff to continue analyzing existing regulations in the Pacific Islands Heritage, Rose Atoll, Marianas Trench and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monuments (MNMs), with a final recommendation planned for consideration at its March 2026 meeting.

 Recent presidential directives have instructed federal agencies to identify ways to reduce regulatory burdens and expand opportunities for commercial fishing in monument waters. In response, the Council is preparing a range of options aimed at returning commercial fishing to these areas under sustainable management.

 “Prior to the establishment of the monument in 2009, we stewarded our own waters. With the monument, only the feds are in charge and no one else has a say,” said Council member Nathan Ilaoa, director of American Samoa’s Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources. “This initiative before the Council provides an opportunity to talk about how the people want to manage their resources rather, than being told what to do by the feds,” he said. The Council also supported a recommendation to ask the president not to use the Antiquities Act to manage fisheries in federal waters.

 Ilaoa said monument fishing prohibitions undermine the people’s ability to fish and provide food for the community. “Pacific Island people are unfairly required to bear the burden of the country’s environmental guilt, and the monuments represent a large inequality in how our peoples are treated,” he said.

 Council members wrestled with potential enhanced management measures and stressed the need for additional data. Council Chair Will Sword said, “If you don’t go fishing, you can’t get the data.” Council member Gene Weaver added, “The Council’s existing regulations provide more than adequate protection, and we can learn from the fishing that occurs to determine if anything more is needed.” Members emphasized that if commercial fishing is restored, it must be done the right way: under existing federal fishery management authority, with strong monitoring and clear performance measures.

 An important part of the Council’s fishery management decision-making process is the opportunity for community members to provide their input on issues discussed. During the public comment period, commenters were split: several supported reopening monument waters, especially the Marianas Trench, if done cautiously under enhanced regulations (gear and catch limits, protected-species measures, strong monitoring) and paired with baseline studies and adaptive management to support local livelihoods and food security. Others urged no action and keeping existing protections, particularly for Rose Atoll and Papahānaumokuākea, citing the areas’ sacred cultural importance, concerns about inadequate consultation and legal authority, and potential ecological harm.

The Council acknowledged letters to NOAA from the governors of American Samoa and the CNMI supporting fishing. However, one member expressed disappointment with the governor of Hawaiʻi’s letter to NOAA to keep fishing prohibitions in the Papahānaumokuākea and Pacific Islands Heritage MNMs. He argued that locally based, well-managed fisheries are integral to Hawaiʻi’s food security and economic fabric, and noted that the state’s longline fisheries represent its largest agricultural product. He urged greater consideration of Hawaiʻi’s fishermen in any decisions affecting these waters. 

By the numbers:

  • Wild-caught pelagic fisheries in the Western Pacific generated around $108 million in revenue in 2024, including about $105 million from the Hawaiʻi longline fishery (2024 Council Stock Assessment and Fisheries Evaluation report). 
  • Hawaiʻi’s seafood consumption is among the highest in the United States, estimated at more than twice the national average. Once local catch is transformed into value-added products like poke, its economic contribution grows even further.
  • For context across primary production in Hawaiʻi, USDA reports 2024 values of ~$53 million for coffee and ~$42 million for macadamia nuts. 

The Council also recommended the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) provide funding to the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center to implement cooperative research that partners with commercial fishers to collect baseline information in monument waters.

The Council also endorsed Scientific and Statistical Committee research priorities, including:

  • Collecting catch/bycatch data suitable for model-based evaluation of policy impacts 
  • Assessing foreign fishing impacts versus domestic fishing near U.S. waters
  • Tagging/telemetry and other low-impact research to evaluate species movement
  • Assessing monument-related fishery impacts on markets
  • Co-designing research with fishing and indigenous communities, as appropriate

Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds said research funding is needed to keep fisheries sustainable and protected. “While it is NMFS’s job to do research, funds are not available because the administration has to deal with other pressing issues,” said Simonds. “Organizations that helped the government establish the monuments have an obligation to help make this happen.”

What’s next

Council staff will complete the requested analyses and draft Fishery Ecosystem Plan amendment alternatives for review ahead of the March meeting, where the Council is expected to take further action on restoring access and finalizing a durable management path forward.

NMFS is expected to share Executive Order 14276 public comments with the Council by early January 2026, followed by January discussions with NMFS on comment summaries and prioritizing next steps, consistent with NOAA guidance from Eugenio Piñeiro Soler.

2026–2029 CNMI Bottomfish Catch Limits

The Council recommended setting the annual catch limit (ACL) for the CNMI bottomfish fishery at 72,000 pounds and the annual catch target (ACT) at 66,000 pounds for 2026–2029. These specifications are based on the results of the NMFS 2025 stock assessment update, along with application of the Council’s P* and SEEM analyses to account for scientific and management uncertainty. The ACT was set below the ACL to provide a management buffer that helps prevent the fishery from exceeding the ACL, ensuring catches remain within sustainable limits.

How to Join the Council Meeting

The Council meeting continues virtually tomorrow, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hawai‘i time with an Endangered Species Act review for the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery, vessel electronic monitoring and more. The agenda includes scheduled public comment periods.  

 Online: https://tinyurl.com/205CouncilMtg, Event password: CM205mtg

 Get the full agenda & documents: www.wpcouncil.org/event/205th-council-meeting-virtual-2

SSC to Review Marine Monuments, Monitoring and False Killer Whale Science at Meeting This Week

December 9, 2025 — This week’s Dec. 9–11, 2025, virtual meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will bring together experts to review current research on Pacific fisheries, protected species and ocean management, and to translate that science into advice for future Council decisions.

Highlights include:

Commercial Fishing Regulations in the Papahānaumokuākea, Rose Atoll and Marianas Trench Marine National Monuments: In response to Executive Order 14276 and subsequent Council direction, the SSC will provide scientific advice on the feasibility of lifting existing fishing restrictions and evaluate potential impacts to marine resources in the monuments. The SSC may also identify additional management measures and research needs to be considered before and after any resumption of commercial fishing activities.

The SSC will review the current state of knowledge on large open-ocean marine protected areas in the Western Pacific Region, drawing on recent peer-reviewed studies. This synthesis of scientific results, benefits, limitations and trade-offs of large, closed areas is intended to inform the Council’s consideration of future management options for the marine national monuments and identify priority research gaps.

Electronic Monitoring: The SSC will hear an update on the rollout of electronic monitoring in the Hawai‘i and American Samoa longline fisheries, including outcomes from the first workshop on vessel monitoring plans (VMPs) and implementation timelines. Members will have the opportunity to weigh in on issues affecting vessel operators and the use of data for fishery monitoring and other applicable law. The discussion will continue with a finalized VMP template for potential endorsement in March.

SSC Special Projects Working Group Reports: The SSC Protected Species Working Group will provide an update on alternative ways to assess how commercial fisheries may affect species such as false killer whales, oceanic whitetip sharks, and leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles. The discussion will focus on different approaches and data needs, with a final report expected in March.

The committee will also hear an initial status update on the multi-species stock assessment strategies process for bottomfish, as National Marine Fisheries Service scientists work with fishermen, managers and partners to apply the new framework for grouping species and using indicator species in future stock assessments.

False Killer Whale Abundance Estimates: The SSC will discuss the latest scientific study on the abundance estimates of endangered main Hawaiian Islands insular false killer whale population. Members will discuss the implications of the findings for fishery management and identify priority research and monitoring needs.

How to Join Virtual Meeting

Online: https://tinyurl.com/158SSCMtg, Event password: SSC158mtg

Get the Full Agenda & Documents: www.wpcouncil.org/event/158th-scientific-and-statistical-committee-meeting-virtual

The SSC provides advice to the Council, which will meet virtually Dec. 16-17, 2025, www.wpcouncil.org/event/205th-council-meeting-virtual-2.

Zinke urges commercial fishing in 3 protected areas

December 7, 2017 — Much of the attention to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s review of national monuments has focused on sites across the West, but recommendations he made to President Trump show that a trio of marine monuments could also see significant changes.

In a report Interior released yesterday, Zinke advised that commercial fishing be introduced to three ocean sites: Rose Atoll, Pacific Remote Islands, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts marine national monuments.

Advocates for fishermen cheered the recommendations, asserting the restrictions had created an “economic burden” for their industry.

“The marine monument designation process may have been well intended, but it has simply lacked a comparable level of industry input, scientific rigor, and deliberation,” said New Bedford, Mass., Mayor Jon Mitchell in a statement released by the National Coalition for Fishing Communities.

He added: “That is why I think hitting the reset button ought to be welcomed no matter where one stands in the current fisheries debates, because the end result will be better policy and better outcomes.”

In the report, Zinke criticized restrictions on commercial fishing in the three monuments, discounting the industry’s impact on areas such as the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts near the Massachusetts coast.

Read the full story at E&E News

 

Zinke backs shrinking more national monuments and shifting management of 10

December 7, 2017 — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Tuesday called on President Trump to shrink a total of four national monuments and change the way six other land and marine sites are managed, a sweeping overhaul of how protected areas are maintained in the United States.

Zinke’s final report comes a day after Trump signed proclamations in Utah that downsized two massive national monuments there — Bears Ears by 85 percent and Grand Staircase-Escalante by nearly 46 percent. The president had directed Zinke in April to review 27 national monuments established since 1996 under the Antiquities Act, which gives the president broad authority to safeguard federal lands and waters under threat.

In addition to the Utah sites, Zinke supports cutting Nevada’s Gold Butte and Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou, though the exact reductions are still being determined. He also would revise the proclamations for those and the others to clarify that certain activities are allowed.

The additional monuments affected include Northeast Canyons and Seamounts in the Atlantic Ocean; both Rose Atoll and the Pacific Remote Islands in the Pacific Ocean; New Mexico’s Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Rio Grande Del Norte, and Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters.

Read the full story at the Washington Post

 

NCFC Members Support Interior Department’s Reported Marine Monument Recommendations

WASHINGTON — September 18, 2017 — The following was released by Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities:

Members of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities support Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s reported recommendations to alter three marine national monuments. Coalition members are hesitant to comment on leaked recommendations that may not be final, but are offering comment due to the significant media attention this report has already received. The reported revisions to marine monuments will lessen the economic burden on America’s fishing communities while still providing environmental protections for our ocean resources.

According to reports, Secretary Zinke’s recommendations to President Donald Trump would allow commercial fishing managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) in the recently designated Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. He also reportedly recommended revising the boundaries or allowing commercial fishing under the MSA in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. NCFC members in the Pacific hope that the White House will extend these recommendations to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, and appreciate the open and transparent process by which Secretary Zinke reviewed these designations.

Marine monument expansions and designations have been widely criticized by commercial fishing interests as well as by the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils, which in a May 16 letter told Secretary Zinke and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross that marine monument designations “have disrupted the ability of the Councils to manage fisheries throughout their range.” Fishing industry members believe these monuments were created with insufficient local input from stakeholders affected by the designations, and fishing communities felt largely ignored by previous administrations.

“The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument was designated after behind-closed-door campaigns led by large, multinational, environmental lobbying firms, despite vocal opposition from local and federal officials, fisheries managers, and the fishing industry,” said Eric Reid, general manager of Seafreeze Shoreside in Narragansett, R.I., who has been critical of the Obama Administration’s process in designating the monument. “But the reported recommendations from the Interior Department make us hopeful that we can recover the areas we have fished sustainably for decades. We are grateful that the voices of fishermen and shore side businesses have finally been heard,” Mr. Reid concluded.

“There seems to be a huge misconception that there are limitless areas where displaced fishermen can go,” said Grant Moore, president of the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association. “Basically with the stroke of a pen, President Obama put fishermen and their crews out of work and harmed all the shore-side businesses that support the fishing industry.”

“The fisheries management process under the existing Magnuson Act is far from perfect, but its great strength is that it has afforded ample opportunities for all stakeholders to study and comment on policy decisions, and for peer review of the scientific basis for those decisions,” stated Mayor Jon Mitchell of New Bedford, Massachusetts, the nation’s top-grossing commercial fishing port. In March, Mayor Mitchell submitted testimony to Congress expressing concern over marine monuments. “The marine monument designation process may have been well intended, but it has simply lacked a comparable level of industry input, scientific rigor, and deliberation. That is why I think hitting the reset button ought to be welcomed no matter where one stands in the current fisheries debates, because the end result will be better policy and better outcomes,” Mayor Mitchell concluded.

Fishermen in the Pacific are also supportive of the Interior Department’s review, but remain concerned about the effects of the Papahānaumokuākea Monument, which was omitted from the version of the recommendations being reported. “We are appreciative of Secretary Zinke’s review, and his reported recommendations to support commercial fishing in the Pacific Remote Islands Monument,” said Sean Martin, president of the Hawaii Longline Association. Hawaii’s longline fishing fleet supplies a large portion of the fresh tuna and other fish consumed in Hawaii. “However, we hope that the White House will extend these recommendations to the Papahānaumokuākea Monument, where President Obama closed an area nearly the size of Alaska without a substantive public process. The longline fleet caught about 2 million pounds of fish annually from the expanded area before it was closed to our American fishermen. That was a high price to pay for a presidential legacy,” Mr. Martin continued.

The reported recommended changes come after an extensive and open public comment period in which the Interior Department solicited opinions from scientists, environmentalists, industry stakeholders, and members of the public. As part of the Interior Department’s review process, Secretary Zinke engaged with communities around the country affected by monument designations. This included a meeting with local fishermen in Boston who explained how the designation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Monument has negatively impacted their livelihoods.

Critics of the monument designation include the regional fishery management councils; numerous fishing groups on the East Coast; and mayors from fishing communities on both coasts.

Additionally, fishery managers in Hawaii have been critical of expansions of both the Papahānaumokuākea Monument and the Pacific Remote Islands Monument. In an April 26 letter to Secretary Zinke, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council stated that marine monuments around Hawaii “impose a disproportionate burden on our fishermen and indigenous communities,” and noted that they have closed regulated domestic commercial fishing in 51 percent of the U.S. exclusive economic zone in the region.

Florida charter fishermen applauded the review, and a return to the process of established law that guides fishery management. “Destin, Florida was founded by commercial fishermen before the turn of the 20th century, and continues to be a major port for commercial and charter fishing fleets,” said Captain Gary Jarvis, president of the Destin Charter Boat Association. “To our fishing community, it’s extremely important to address closures of historical fishing grounds through the Magnuson-Stevens mandated regional council process.”

Curiously, although President Obama’s September 2016 monument designation prohibited sustainable low-impact commercial fishing, it allowed other extractive activities including recreational fishing, and even far more destructive activities such as the digging of trenches for international communications cables.

NCFC members supporting the Interior Department’s reported recommendations include:

  • Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association
  • Destin Charter Boat Association
  • Fisheries Survival Fund
  • Garden State Seafood Association
  • Hawaii Longline Association
  • Long Island Commercial Fishing Association
  • North Carolina Fisheries Association
  • Seafreeze Shoreside
  • Southeastern Fisheries Association
  • Western Fishboat Owners Association
  • West Coast Seafood Processors Association