Saving Seafood

Pacific Fishery Management Council to Hold a Meeting June 2022 to Adopt Management Measures for Ocean Fisheries, Including Final Measures for 2023-2024 Groundfish Fisheries

May 11, 2022 —  The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

Notice of availability: June 2022 Council meeting notice and agenda (meeting to be held hybrid online/in-person)

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC or Council) and its advisory bodies will meet June 8-14, 2022 in Vancouver, Washington with live streaming and remote participation options. Most of the meetings will be held in-person. The Council and groundfish Advisory Body meetings will have a hybrid of remote and in-person participation. The Scientific and Statistical Committee will meet by webinar only. The Council is scheduled to address issues related to groundfish, coastal pelagic species, highly migratory species, and administrative matters.

Please see the June 2022 Council meeting webpage for details regarding the agenda, webinar participation, our E-Portal for submitting public comments, and the public comment deadline.

For further information:

•Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff at 503-820-2280; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

•Visit the June 2022 Council meeting webpage

Western Pacific Scientists to Discuss Research on Area-Based Management and “Weak Hooks” as a Mitigation Strategy

March 10, 2022 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Scientists across the Western Pacific Region will meet virtually March 15 to 17, 2022, to provide advice and comments to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council on area-based management, a weak hook study, American Samoa bottomfish data workshops 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 https://www.wpcouncil.org/event/143rd-scientific-and-statistical-committee-virtual-meeting.

Area-Based Management

The SSC will discuss recently published papers on area-based management (ABM) that investigate the balance of conservation objectives under new domestic and international policies. Council and SSC members have developed and contributed to several publications that investigate the trade-offs of closed areas for protecting biodiversity versus optimizing fishing yields with the smallest amount of bycatch. SSC members and Council staff also published works demonstrating the applicability of dynamic versus static ABM tools with respect to objectives and the dynamic nature of the pelagic ecosystems that dominate Council-managed waters.

Weak Hook Study

The SSC will weigh in on next steps for the False Killer Whale Take Reduction Plan after considering a new study comparing the economic impacts of using relatively weaker hooks (4.2 mm diameter) to existing hooks (4.5 mm diameter) in the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery. The committee will advise the Council whether the study provides scientific evidence to adopt weaker hooks, which are intended to straighten to release accidentally hooked false killer whales, while retaining bigeye tuna and other fish species of market value.

The Council’s previous position on a preferred mitigation strategy was to focus on removing trailing gear from the animals as close to the hook as possible. Discussions will guide the Council in developing an updated position in preparation for the False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team meeting, which is expected to take place later in 2022. The Team includes representatives from the Council, various government agencies, and fisheries, academic and environmental groups.

American Samoa Bottomfish Data Workshops

The SSC will hear a report on data workshops held with Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Council and American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources staffs and fishermen held in Tutuila and Manu‘a. Fishermen provided insights and input on data to be used in the next American Samoa bottomfish benchmark stock assessment to be completed in 2023. The workshops were the first in a series of steps to improve data collection in the U.S. Pacific Territories.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets March 22-24, 2022, 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 https://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.

Scientific and Statistical Committee: James Lynch (Sierra Pacific Industries) (chair); Debra Cabrera (University of Guam); Frank Camacho (University of Guam); Milani Chaloupka (University of Queensland); Erik Franklin (University of Hawai‘i, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology); Jay Gutierrez (Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources); Shelton Harley (Minister of Fisheries, NZ); Jason Helyer (Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources); Ray Hilborn (University of Washington); Justin Hospital (National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) PIFSC); David Itano (fisheries consultant); Donald Kobayashi (NMFS PIFSC); Steve Martell (SeaState, Inc.); Domingo Ochavillo (American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources); Graham Pilling (Secretariat of the Pacific Community); Kurt Schaefer (Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission); Craig Severance (University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, retired); Michael Tenorio (CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife); and Michael Seki (ex-officio) (NMFS PIFSC).

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council: Secretary of Commerce appointees from nominees selected by American Samoa, CNMI, Guam and Hawai‘i governors: Roger Dang, Fresh Island Fish Co. (Hawai‘i) (vice chair); Manny Dueñas, Guam Fishermen’s Cooperative Association (Guam) (vice chair); John Gourley, Micronesian Environmental Services (CNMI) (vice chair); Will Sword, noncommercial fisherman/engineer (American Samoa) (vice chair); Monique Amani, business owner (Guam); Howard Dunham, commercial fisherman (American Samoa); Matt Ramsey, Conservation International (Hawai‘i); and McGrew Rice, charter boat captain (CNMI). Designated state officials: Anthony Benavente, CNMI Dept. of Lands and Natural Resources; Suzanne Case, Hawai‘i Dept. of Land & Natural Resources; Chelsa Muña-Brecht, Guam Dept. of Agriculture; and Archie Soliai, American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources (chair). Designated federal officials (voting): Michael Tosatto, NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office. Designated federal officials (nonvoting): Charles Brinkman and Rebecca Wintering, U.S. Dept. of State; Brian Peck, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and RADM Matthew Sibley, U.S. Coast Guard 14th District.

 

Coastal Pelagic Species Subcommittee of the SSC to hold online meeting March 2, 2022

January 20, 2022 —  The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Subcommittee of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold an online meeting. This meeting is open to the public. The online meeting will be held Wednesday, March 2, 2022, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Pacific Standard Time (PST) or until business for the day has been completed.

For further information:

•See the March  2, 2022 CPS Subcommittee of the SSC meeting notice on the Council’s website

•Contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Kerry Griffin at 503-820-2409; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

Groundfish Subcommittee of the SSC to hold online meeting January 25, 2022

December 30, 2021 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council)  Groundfish Subcommittee of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold an online meeting to review the 2021 groundfish stock assessment process and discuss process improvements for the next stock assessment cycle. The online meeting will be held Tuesday, January 25, 2022, from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Pacific Standard Time or until business for the day is completed.

Please see the meeting notice on the Pacific Council’s website for additional details.

For further information:

•Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer John DeVore at 503-820-2413; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

 

US Pacific Federal Fishery Managers Recommend Tori Lines, New American Samoa Bottomfish Stock Assessment Approach

December 9, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended today to replace blue-dyed fish bait and strategic offal discharge with tori lines in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery’s suite of seabird conservation measures. This amendment will improve the overall operational practicality and efficacy of required mitigation regulations. At their meeting last week, the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) supported the regulatory changes, noting that they are informed by the best scientific information available.

The change was based on a fishing-industry-led collaborative project with Hawai‘i longline vessels to conduct field experiments over the past three years to compare seabird interaction rates with baited hooks. “The Hawaii Longline Association fully supports this change to tori lines,” said HLA Executive Director Eric Kingma. Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds added, “This action is an example representing the Council’s long history of proactive and adaptive conservation measures to address fishery impacts to protected species.”

The Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery, which targets bigeye tuna, has been using a suite of seabird mitigation measures since 2001 under the Council’s Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan. This effort was accomplished through the Magnuson-Stevens Act’s bottom-up approach for making or changing fishery regulations that starts with an issue presented from Council advisory groups and the public.

The Council also endorsed the SSC’s recommendation to use a single-species, age-structured management approach for the next American Samoa bottomfish stock assessment scheduled for 2023. The American Samoa bottomfish fishery is managed in an 11-species complex, which is overfished and experiencing overfishing, according to a 2019 Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) assessment. Data are available to support age-structured assessments.

An SSC working group and PIFSC, American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR) and Council staffs held two data evaluation workshops to improve information used in the stock assessment. “This data discussion and evaluation is a step in the right direction,” said DMWR Director and Council Chair Archie Soliai. “Consultation between PIFSC and DMWR is absolutely necessary to ensure that the next stock assessment is accurate.”

On another issue, Council members raised concerns with the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) “negative determination” that the proposed critical habitat designation for Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed coral species is not expected to affect the territories’ Coastal Zone Management Programs. Territory governments have been receiving conflicting information from NMFS on whether the “negative determination” is automatic for critical habitat designations. The Council requested that NMFS follow up with the Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) governments to provide specific reasons for not accepting the territorial objection of the NMFS negative determination on the Coastal Zone Management Act federal consistency provisions.

Council members from the CNMI, Guam and American Samoa continued to press NMFS regarding the pending critical habitat designation. In November 2020, NMFS proposed the designation of critical habitat in nearshore territorial waters. Critical habitat is habitat containing physical features essential to supporting recovery of ESA-listed species.

Territory resource agencies and governors have since voiced their dismay that such designations may impact the territory governments’ ability to manage coastal areas, which are often funded by or authorized by the federal government. Critical habitat designations add a layer of federal agency consultation to the federal project approval process.

Tomorrow the Council will discuss outcomes of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission annual meeting on tropical tuna management measures and proposed Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary updates, among other topics. 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 CNMI and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Areas.

 

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

 

Western Pacific Scientists Endorse US Proposal to Increase Bigeye Tuna Quota

December 3, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council this week discussed issues related to bigeye tuna management at the ongoing Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting. The SSC endorsed the U.S. proposal to increase its bigeye tuna catch from 3,554 metric tons to 6,554 metric tons for the U.S. longline fishery, and to increase the observer coverage minimum for WCPFC longline fisheries from 5% to 10%. WCPFC analyses demonstrate the Pacific bigeye tuna stock may sustainably withstand a modest increase in longline catch for the Hawai‘i-based fishery, noting it operates in a region of low levels of biomass depletion.

The SSC also endorsed the continuation of fishing agreements between Hawai‘i-based U.S. vessels and participating U.S. Pacific Island Territories, and the agreements’ formal recognition within the WCPFC. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the U.S. bigeye tuna quota can be exchanged between the Territories and Hawai‘i according to procedures established under the Council’s Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan.

The SSC heard the Hawai‘i and American Samoa longline catch rates were low during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic period. In Hawai‘i, bigeye tuna catch rates were well below historical levels, likely due to atypical La Nina oceanographic conditions. The SSC noted an ongoing study that found preliminary 2021 revenue was 84% higher than 2020 (March to August timeframe) largely due to significant price increases from supply limitations, and 35% higher than a 2015-2019 baseline.

Although the South Pacific albacore tuna stock is not overfished and not experiencing overfishing, the SSC was concerned that the American Samoa catch rates were the lowest on record—well below the rate needed to make the fishery viable. The SSC noted that a continuous downward trend of the stock coincides with declines of numerous Pacific Island fisheries and uncertainty in reported fishing capacity and catches of South Pacific albacore.

The WCPFC is responsible for the waters around Hawai‘i and the U.S. Pacific Islands. The member countries, including the United States, aim to reach consensus annually on conservation and management measures such as catch limits for tropical tunas and billfish, and spatial fishing effort limits.

Regarding area-based management, the SSC endorsed a work plan from a committee subgroup and expects to have an outline for a policy-focused paper in March 2022 about domestic and international issues impacting Western Pacific Region fisheries. The SSC working group aims to provide advice on using area-based management to achieve goals under President Biden’s 30×30 land and ocean conservation initiative and similar negotiations on the high seas, and address the changing international fisheries landscape.

The SSC also commended development of the Hawai‘i Community Tagging Program, a collaborative research project on sharks between the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and small-boat fishermen. The program aims to quantify shark-fisher interactions, depredation and mortality rates for silky sharks and Endangered Species Act-listed oceanic whitetip sharks, among others. Scientists educate fishers on shark population status and species identification, while identifying and testing bycatch and depredation mitigation strategies.

The program plans to integrate tag, fishing interaction and environmental data to create species distribution models that can be created under various future climate change scenarios. SSC suggested the Science Center extend its efforts to reduce depredation in Hawai‘i bottomfish fisheries as well as the U.S. Pacific Island territories, which have both noted high depredation rates.

Recommendations made by the SSC will be considered by the Council when it meets virtually next week, Dec. 7-9, 2021, 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.

For more information on the agenda, meeting documents and web conference connection, go to www.wpcouncil.org/event/189th-council-virtual-meeting. Host sites are subject to local and federal safety and health guidelines regarding COVID-19; check the Council website for updates.

 

WPRFMC: Western Pacific Scientists Support Tori Lines Over Blue-Dyed Bait in Tuna Fishery and Exploring New Bottomfish Management Approach

December 1, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council 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. Results from field experiments conducted in the past three years under an experimental fishing permit showed that Laysan and black-footed albatross were 4 times less likely to come in contact with baited hooks when participating vessels used tori lines, or bird scaring lines, versus blue-dyed bait. Tori lines have proved effective in other longline fisheries around the world.

SSC members discussed various impacts the management alternatives could have on the U.S. longline commercial fishery, including additional crew time required to create and clean up the blue-dyed bait. The SSC supports removal of strategic offal discharge as a requirement since there is inconclusive scientific evidence that it provides a conservation benefit, especially in light of the tori line effect on seabird interaction rates. In lieu of this requirement, the management measure would include best practice training for longline vessel owners and operators on offal management at the required annual National Marine Fisheries Service protected species workshop.

The SSC provides scientific advice to the Council, which is considering modifications to a regulatory amendment to improve seabird conservation. The Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery, which targets bigeye tuna, has been using a suite of seabird mitigation measures since 2001 under the Council’s Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan.

After reviewing a workshop report on American Samoa bottomfish data evaluation, the SSC supported a single-species management approach for the next stock assessment scheduled for 2023. The American Samoa bottomfish fishery is managed in an 11-species complex, which is overfished and experiencing overfishing, according to a 2019 Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) assessment. The PIFSC Stock Assessment Program reported there are sufficient data to explore the use of single-species assessments for most managed bottomfish species except for pink snapper (palu-‘ena‘ena, Pristipomoides filamentosus).

The report summarized information collected from six systems and highlighted the data quantity, quality and changes over time. The catch per unit effort data from the creel surveys and the resulting estimated catch are highly uncertain, particularly for species that are not well represented in the surveys. However, there is sufficient information for a single species, age-based assessment using length information from the PIFSC diver surveys and biosampling program, and territory boat-based creel surveys.

Creel surveys collect general fisheries data provided voluntarily by commercial and noncommercial boat and shore fishermen. Moving forward with a single-species approach may require changes in conservation and management measures.

The SSC meeting continues tomorrow with discussions on pelagic and international fisheries. Instructions on connecting to the web conference, agenda and briefing documents are posted at www.wpcouncil.org/event/142nd-scientific-and-statistical-committee-virtual-meeting.

 

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Seeks Advisors on Social and Economic Topics

October 12, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) is soliciting social scientists and economists interested in serving on its Socio-Economic Panel. Membership is open to qualified social scientists and economists, regardless of geographic location. The Council will review applications at its December 2021 meeting. Applications received by November 5, 2021 will be submitted to the Council for consideration.

The South Atlantic Council is one of eight regional fishery management councils in the country. Each council has a Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) responsible for reviewing the scientific basis of council management plans, actions, and developing fishing level recommendations in accordance with national fisheries management guidelines. The South Atlantic Council’s SSC has a specific sub-group, known as the Socio-Economic Panel (SEP), that is made up of social scientists and economists who advise the SSC and the Council on social and economic topics that relate to fisheries management measures and analysis. The SEP typically meets once a year over a two-day period. The SEP members serve 3-year terms and may be appointed to multiple terms.

Anyone with expertise and experience in the areas of social science, economics, political science, anthropology, social and economic research and monitoring, and/or social and economic analyses of natural resources, especially as applied to fish species in the South Atlantic Region, is encouraged to apply by submitting a CV, cover letter, and completing the NMFS Financial Disclosure Statement (available HERE). The cover letter should highlight qualifications and experience.

Questions and completed applications should be submitted to John Hadley at John.Hadley@safmc.net or (843) 302-8432.

Atlantic Herring: NEFMC Approves Stock Rebuilding Plan and Adjustments to Accountability Measures in Framework 9

October 7, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During its September 28-30, 2021 webinar meeting, the New England Fishery Management Council selected preferred alternatives for Framework Adjustment 9 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and then voted to submit the framework to NOAA Fisheries for review and implementation.

The framework contains two components:

• A stock rebuilding plan for Atlantic herring; and
• Adjustments to accountability measures that are triggered when overages to catch limits occur in individual herring management areas.

Stock Rebuilding Plan: The Council received a letter from NOAA Fisheries on October 13, 2020 saying the agency “formally determined that the Atlantic herring stock is overfished based on the best scientific information available.”

The Council was given two years from the date of the letter to develop a rebuilding plan that could be implemented by NOAA Fisheries within that timeframe, as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

The Council’s Herring Committee initially developed three rebuilding alternatives for this action, and the Scientific and Statistical Committee reviewed the technical basis of the projections that were prepared to evaluate the alternatives. In mid-September, the Herring Committee added another alternative, known as 3A, for the Council to consider. The options presented to the full Council are summed up in the Framework 9 Decision Document.

Aside from “no action,” which was not a viable alternative given the letter from NOAA Fisheries, the Council had two distinct paths to choose from: (a) use the acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule that was developed under Amendment 8 to guide the rebuilding program; or (b) go with a constant fishing mortality rate target that would remain fixed – regardless of increases or decreases in biomass – for seven or five years depending on which alternative was selected.

Read the full release from the New England Fishery Management Council