Saving Seafood

Seafood Companies, Governments, and NGOs Support ‘Seabird-Safe’ Fishing Toolkit

December 5, 2023 — The following was released by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership:

Action and momentum is building across the Asia-Pacific tuna industry to reduce capture of threatened albatrosses and other seabirds in longline fisheries.

Last week, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) joined more than 80 fishing company representatives and government officials from nine APEC economies in a roundtable to      develop the Seabird-Safe Fishing Toolkit to help solve the problem of seabirds becoming       entangled, hooked and drowned in fishing operations.

The toolkit project is a New Zealand-funded project, with the support of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Oceans and Fisheries Working Group. The project is co-sponsored by Chile, People’s Republic of China, Peru, Chinese Taipei, and the United States. The toolkit will be developed over 2024 and presented to the APEC Oceans and Fisheries Working Group in August 2024.

Mandy Leathers, Senior International Advisor at New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, said the toolkit is a “one-stop shop” that brings together essential information about the ocean areas important to threatened seabirds, the best measures to avoid bycatch of seabirds, and robust monitoring methods.

A growing number of global companies involved in tuna fishing want to address impacts on threatened marine wildlife to meet the demands of their markets. We want to support them as much as we can.

Unlike many global environmental issues, there are effective ways to solve the problem of seabird captures in longline fishing operations. This relies on fisheries having the necessary information, as they have a key part to play,” said Leathers.

Seafood companies Thai Union and Tri Marine, and Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS) attended the roundtable and support the toolkit.

Martin Exel, Managing Director of SeaBOS, said science-based solutions like this toolkit, developed and implemented by conservation and science in conjunction with industry, are critical to reducing impacts on endangered species of seabirds, and achieving sustainable seafood production.

“Reducing the impacts of fishing on endangered species of seabirds is something we must all do, and having the options and approaches outlined in this way will speed up the process of restoring seabird population health, while also improving catches and returns for the industry. It’s a win-win for seabirds, the seafood sector, conservation, science, government, and industry,” said Exel.

Thai Union’s Sustainable Fish Sourcing Director, Fong Lee, says the development of the Seabird-Safe Fishing Toolkit marks a pivotal moment in their ongoing efforts to safeguard marine biodiversity.

“At Thai Union, our commitment extends beyond pledges. It’s about tangible actions and continuous improvement. This toolkit is a critical step towards resolving the pressing issue of seabird bycatch in fishing operations. By harnessing best practices, innovative technologies, and collaborative efforts, we aim to significantly reduce the unintended harm to seabirds.

Thai Union has already pledged to only source from vessels that are implementing best practices to protect ocean wildlife from bycatch, including seabirds. Our goal is clear – to ensure that our oceans remain vibrant and teeming with life, for the seabirds and all marine creatures. This is a responsibility we shoulder and a challenge we embrace wholeheartedly,” said Lee.

Conservation and Sustainable Seafood NGOs also have a key role in the development of the toolkit.

Alexia Morgan, Ocean Wildlife Manager at Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), said SFP is engaging with its partner wholesalers and buyers, who want to understand the impacts of their sourcing on the wider ecosystem.

“We have a narrow window of time to stop albatross extinctions. The toolkit will help accelerate progress by supporting these companies in delivering on their existing sustainability policies to protect albatrosses and other seabirds,” said Morgan.

Matt Watson, Senior Fisheries Program Manager for the Asia Pacific at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), said consumer demands are driving a shift in the tuna sector.

“Retailers, brands and restaurants around the world are choosing to source MSC certified tuna and use the MSC blue fish tick label on their products and menus.

“Fisheries need to demonstrate that they are minimising mortality of threatened species through best practice management measures, which now require independent verification. We hope the toolkit will help fishing fleets navigate these challenges and achieve certification,” said Watson.

 

NOAA testing ultraviolet lights as solution to seabird bycatch

August 12, 2023 — NOAA Fisheries believes new ultraviolet-phased lighting technology could help keep seabirds away from fishing vessels, and the agency is embarking on a several-year research effort to see if it lives up to its promise.

Tempted by the bait used to lure in fish, seabirds have long been attracted to commercial fishing operations. Unfortunately, it typically isn’t the free meal that it appears to be, with the birds becoming hooked or entangled in the gear. NOAA Fisheries has been successful in reducing seabird interactions with some gear, but those measures do not deter the animals from approaching and colliding with the vessels.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

River Traps Chew at Huge Ocean Plastics Problem

June 16, 2022 — Floating fences in India. Whimsical water- and solar-driven conveyor belts with googly eyes in Baltimore. Rechargeable aquatic drones and a bubble barrier in The Netherlands.

These are some of the sophisticated and at times low-tech inventions being deployed to capture plastic trash in rivers and streams before it can pollute the world’s oceans.

The devices are fledgling attempts to dent an estimated 8.8 million tons (8 metric tons) of plastic that gets into the ocean every year. Once there, it maims or kills marine plants and animals including whales,dolphins, and seabirds and accumulates in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and other vast swirls of currents.

Trash-gobbling traps on rivers and other waterways won’t eliminate ocean plastic but can help reduce it, say officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

 

Scientists Support New Measures, Changes to Hawaii Longline Tuna Fishery

December 3, 2021 — Blue bait or tori lines: Which is better for saving seabirds?

To the Scientific and Statistical Committee of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, tori lines.

The SSC continued to support replacing blue-dyed fish bait and strategic offal discard requirements in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery with tori lines for seabird bycatch mitigation when it met recently.

Read the full story at SeafoodNews.com

 

Heat, no food, deadly weather: Climate change kills seabirds

December 2, 2021 — The warming of the planet is taking a deadly toll on seabirds that are suffering population declines from starvation, inability to reproduce, heat waves and extreme weather.

Climate-related losses have hit albatrosses off the Hawaiian islands, northern gannets near the British Isles and puffins off the Maine coast. Some birds are less able to build nests and raise young as sea levels rise, while others are unable to find fish to eat as the ocean heats up, researchers have found.

Common murres and Cassin’s auklets that live off the West Coast have also died in large numbers from conditions scientists directly tied to global warming.

With less food, rising seas that encroach on islands where birds roost and increasingly frequent hurricanes that wipe away nests, many seabirds have been producing fewer chicks, researchers say.

And tern species that live off New England have died during increasing rain and hailstorms scientists link to climate change. Some species, including endangered roseate terns, also can’t fledge chicks because more frequent severe weather kills their young, said Linda Welch, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Read the full story from the Associated Press

Western Pacific Scientists to Consider Seabird Conservation Measures, Research to Inform Management Decisions

November 29, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Scientists will meet Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, 2021, to provide advice and comments to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council on domestic seabird conservation measures, tagging studies to inform management decisions, tropical tuna annual catch limits and other topics. The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) meeting 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/142nd-scientific-and-statistical-committee-virtual-meeting. Among the agenda items are the following:

Revisions for Seabird Conservation Measures

The SSC will consider an impact analysis of management alternatives to help the Hawai‘i longline fishery avoid hooking seabirds. The Council is evaluating using tori lines, or bird scaring lines, as part of a suite of mitigation measures that have been in place since 2002. 

Two field trials to develop and test tori lines in the deep-set longline fishery were conducted in 2019-2021 under a cooperative research project between the Council, Hawaii Longline Association and Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC). Results show that tori lines are significantly more effective in preventing longline gear interactions with black-footed and Laysan albatrosses than an existing method of using blue-dyed bait. 

Cutting-Edge Research

The SSC will discuss reports on research that could inform future management decisions. PIFSC will describe a collaborative research program aimed at reducing depredation rates and mortality of sharks incidentally captured in small-scale fisheries around Hawai‘i. The Hawai‘i Community Tagging Program (“Shark Tagger” program) was created to facilitate outreach to resource users and to bridge the gap between scientists, fishers and managers. 

Another study looks at yellowfin tuna movement patterns in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. Tuna were tagged and released in specific areas to allow scientists to track their dispersion and interaction with oceanic conditions. Knowing the stock structure of these tunas helps managers make appropriate management decisions.

An SSC working group on area-based management will also present its plan to achieve the goals of the Biden Administration’s 30×30 Initiative and the United Nations’ international negotiations to conserve and sustainably use ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Possible Tropical Tuna Quota Increase

The SSC will hear about U.S. preparations for the 18th Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), which will be held virtually Nov. 28 to Dec. 6, 2021. Key topics include a revised tropical tuna (bigeye, yellowfin and skipjack) conservation and management measure, South Pacific albacore tuna management and a U.S. proposal to strengthen international shark measures by banning wire leaders in longline fisheries, as the Council recommended this year for the Hawai‘i longline fishery.

The Permanent Advisory Committee to the U.S. delegation recommended the United States propose an increase of at least 3,000 metric tons (mt) to the current domestic longline catch limit of 3,554 mt for bigeye tuna. The increase would not exceed management objectives since nearly 10,000 mt of accepted catch among other nations goes unused annually. The Hawai‘i longline fishery has more than 20% observer coverage (international requirement is 5%), does not transship at-sea and operates in a portion of the ocean where regional depletion of bigeye tuna has been estimated to be minimal.

The WCPFC is responsible for the waters around Hawai‘i and the U.S. Pacific Islands. The Commission meets annually in December to review stock assessments and other information from sub-groups and committees that start meeting in July.

American Samoa Bottomfish Data Workshops

PIFSC will report on a data workshop held with Council and American Samoa fisheries staffs to evaluate data to be used for the next American Samoa bottomfish benchmark stock assessment to be completed in 2023. The SSC’s working group will report on their meeting with PIFSC and Council staffs on the availability, quality and appropriateness of the data for use in various stock assessment models.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets Dec. 7-9, 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 Dr., Hagatña, Guam. 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.

 

WPRFMC: 2021 Public Meetings Notice

November 15, 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, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIAs). 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, go to www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars, email info@wpcouncil.org, fax (808) 522-8226 or phone (808) 522-8220.

Fishing Industry Advisory Committee

November 16 (T)     1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Fishing and market issues/impacts; Seabird mitigation measure revisions in the HI deep-set longline (DSLL) fishery; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting reports; False killer whale acoustic study and Take Reduction Team research priorities; AS gear diversification project report; and CNMI bottomfish (BF) development and training report.

Non-Commercial Fisheries Advisory Committee 

November 16 (T)     3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Fishery allocation discussion; National Recreational Fishing Summit update; and Fishermen observations.

AS Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Advisory Panel (AP)

November 16 (T)     6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (SST)

Major agenda items: AS Sustainable Fisheries Fund (SFF) project reports; AS outreach and education update; AS BF Data Workshop report; Territorial BF Fishery Management Plan update; AS fishermen observations update; and AP plans.

Pelagic and International Standing Committee

November 17 (W)    1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Seabird mitigation measure revisions in the HI DSLL fishery; Endangered Species Act Biological Opinions report; Hawaii Longline Assoc. and Tautai o Samoa Longline & Fishing Assoc. reports; and WCPFC meeting reports.

Social Science Planning Committee

November 18 (Th)   1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Socioeconomic modules for the annual Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation reports; Social Science Strategic Plan update; and Environmental justice in fisheries management.

Mariana Archipelago FEP-CNMI AP

November 18 (Th)   1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (ChST)

Major agenda items: Fish aggregating devices (FADs) and fishery infrastructure reports; Military issues and concerns; Catchit Logit transfer and mandatory reporting requirements; SFF project updates; CNMI fishermen observations update; and AP plans.

Mariana Archipelago FEP-Guam AP

November 18 (Th)   6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (ChST)

Major agenda items: Military issues and concerns; FAD issues and solutions; Council Coral Reef Program update; AP outreach and education report; Guam fishermen observations update; and AP plans.

HI Archipelago FEP AP

November 19 (F)     1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Seabird mitigation measure revisions in the HI DSLL fishery; Proposed Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) sanctuary update; Green turtle management update; HI Dept. of Aquatic Resources sportfish funding report; HI fishermen observations update; and AP plans and working group reports.

142nd Scientific and Statistical Committee

Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/142SSCMtg. If prompted, password SSC142mtg.

November 30 – December 2 (T – Th)  11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Seabird mitigation measure revisions in the HI DSLL fishery (action item); Environmental justice report; AS BF Data Workshop report; and SSC and Council Coordination Committee area-based working group reports.

Executive and Budget Standing Committee

December 6 (M)  3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Financial and administrative matters; and Council family changes.

189th Council Meeting

Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/189CouncilMtg. If prompted, password CM189mtg.

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

December 7 – 9 (T – Th)   11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Territorial creel survey expansion; Seabird mitigation measure revisions in theHI DSLL fishery (action item); False killer whale weak hook study report; AS BF Data Workshop report; WCPFC meeting reports; and Proposed NWHI sanctuary update.

Written comments on final action items on the 189th Council meeting agenda received by Dec. 3, 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.

 

Summary of Action Items for the 189th Council Meeting

November 11, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

1.Modification of Seabird Interaction Mitigation Measures in the Deep-set Longline Fishery

Click here for a PDF version of the 189th Action Item Summary Memo.

The 189th meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will convene on December 7-9, 2021, by web conference (Webex) with host sites at the following locations:

•Tedi of Samoa Building, Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, American Samoa

•BRI Building, Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St. Garapan, Saipan, CNMI

•Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Drive, Hagatña, Guam

The Webex link is https://tinyurl.com/189CouncilMtg (if prompted, enter event number: 2465 972 4878; password: CM189mtg).

The Council will consider and may take action on the issues summarized below, 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, December 3, 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 https://www.wpcouncil.org/event/189th-council-virtual-meeting/.

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

Summary of Action Items at the 189th Council Meeting

1.Modification of Seabird Interaction Mitigation Measures in the Deep-set Longline Fishery (Final Action)

The Council is considering a regulatory amendment to the Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) to modify seabird interaction mitigation measures in the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery. At the 184th Meeting in December 2020 directed staff to initiate development of a regulatory amendment to evaluate options for allowing the use of tori lines (also known as bird scaring lines or streamer lines) in lieu of blue-dyed bait and removing the strategic offal discharge requirement in the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery, and schedule further action when the results of a second tori line field trial was available.

Two field trials to develop and test tori lines in the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery were conducted in 2019-2021 under a joint Cooperative Research Project by the Council, Hawaii Longline Association, NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) and PIRO. The studies show that tori lines are significantly more effective in preventing longline gear interactions with black-footed and Laysan albatrosses than blue-dyed bait, which is currently required as part of the seabird interaction mitigation measures implemented under the Council’s Pelagic FEP. Discharge of offal and spent bait is also required under the existing measures, but available information suggest that this practice may increase interactions over time by attracting more seabirds to the fishing vessels.

The Council at the 187th meeting in September 2021 considered initial action on the regulatory amendment, and recommended as preliminary preferred alternatives 1) replacing blue-dyed bait with tori line; and 2) removing strategic offal discard from the regulatory requirement, with the addition to include best practices training on offal management as part of the required annual protected species workshop. The Council directed staff to consider a contingency that would allow vessels to continue fishing if a tori pole breaks during a trip. Additionally, the Council directed staff to work with the Action Team to develop the necessary documentation including draft regulations for consideration of final action at the December 2021 meeting.

The Council at the 189th Meeting will consider final action on the regulatory amendment. The purpose of the action is to improve the overall operational practicality and mitigation efficacy of the required seabird mitigation measures for the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery. The Council will consider the following alternatives:

1.No Action (Status Quo)

2.Replace blue-dyed thawed bait and strategic offal discharge measures required for stern-setting vessels with a new tori line requirement (preliminary preferred alternative)

3.Replace blue-dyed thawed bait with a new tori line requirement, and modify strategic offal discard requirement to an offal management requirement

On the Water: A Look at Life as an Observer October 13, 2021

October 18, 2021 — Keenan Carpenter has always loved being on the water. Growing up in Florida, he dreamed of a pro fishing career. Today, you can often find him casting his rod from the beach or on a kayak in his spare time. But as he moved through his studies in marine sciences at Jacksonville University, he found another way to channel his affinity for fishing and his background in sciences—as an observer for NOAA Fisheries.

“I watch what gets taken out of the ocean to ensure there’s more to get taken out later,” Carpenter says of his work. As one of about 850 observers contracted by NOAA Fisheries, Carpenter acts as the agency’s eyes and ears on the water. Observers collect data from commercial fishing vessels on what’s caught and what’s discarded, and track interactions with seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals. The data are critical “puzzle pieces of the whole picture,” as Carpenter says, underpinning the decisions made for sustainable fisheries management.

Read the full story from NOAA Fisheries

 

Western Pacific Fishery Managers Recommend Improved Seabird Conservation Measures

September 23, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended modifications to a regulatory amendment as an initial action to improve seabird conservation in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery.

A recent tori line study showed that the streamer lines are significantly more effective than blue-dyed fish bait to deter seabirds like Laysan and black-footed albatross from interacting with longline gear. The Council supported using tori lines instead of blue-dyed bait, which is currently required as a seabird interaction mitigation measure implemented under the Council’s Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan. The Council will consider a full analysis to make a final decision at its December 2021 meeting.

In addition, the Council recommended removing strategic offal (fish waste) discards from the regulatory requirement. Discharging offal and spent bait in the ocean away from where fishing gear is set may distract birds in the short-term, but may also increase seabird attraction to fishing vessels over time. The Council also recommended best practices training on offal management be added to the required annual protected species workshop for Hawai‘i commercial fishermen.

“We support this change since blue dye is messy and not always effective,” said Hawaii Longline Association Executive Director Eric Kingma. “Tori lines are extensively used around the world, including fisheries in Alaska, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. They are practical, easy to use and not expensive.”

The Hawai‘i longline fishery has been using seabird conservation measures for more than 20 years and pioneered many of the mitigation measures used internationally in pelagic fisheries.

The Council started discussion today on the American Samoa bottomfish rebuilding plan and will take a final decision tomorrow on the last day of the quarterly meeting. The Council will also decide annual catch limits for the main Hawaiian Islands uku fishery. Instructions on connecting to Webex, agendas and briefing documents are posted at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars.

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 (CNMI) and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Areas.