Saving Seafood

Preserving Poke in a Changing Climate

July 18, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Managing bigeye tuna in the Pacific is already challenging, and now a new study shows that climate change may affect our supply of this fish, used to make the deliciously popular ʻahi poke. The study projects the decline of catch in Hawai‘i’s bigeye tuna fishery as climate change continues to unfold. However, alternate scenarios could bolster ecosystem resilience and limit fishery declines.

Scientists from the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, the University of Hawai‘i, and the University of Tasmania teamed up to model the ecosystem in which Hawai‘i’s bigeye tuna fishery operates. Their model projected how increasing ocean temperatures and declining plankton would affect specific fish species. (Temperature and plankton values were from a suite of climate models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.) The model also predicted how different scenarios, such as decreased fishing effort, could change those effects.

The scientists found that climate change led to a decline in catch regardless of whether fishing effort increased, decreased, or remained the same. A decline in bigeye tuna catch means less ‘ahi poke at your local market. However, the study also revealed fishing scenarios that may allow the ecosystem to remain resilient in the face of climate change.

“Rather than seeing the results as a doom-and-gloom future for Hawai‘i’s fishery, I see them as encouraging. They show that local choices matter, that we can decide which future scenario we want to pursue,” says lead author Phoebe Woodworth-Jefcoats. She points to two future scenarios in particular:  In one, the fishery persisted with today’s fishing effort. In another, the fishery slowly reduced its effort to half. Both scenarios showed similar declines in bigeye tuna catch, but in the second scenario, the ecosystem was resilient despite the effects of climate change, and the biomass of each fish species increased.

Read the full release here

Sharing best-practice: IPNLF & ISSF launch first practical reference guide for pole-and-line fishing

July 16, 2019 — The following was released by the International Pole & Line Foundation & International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

A new guidebook detailing science-based best-practices for maximising catch value and also minimising the environmental impacts of these fisheries is today jointly published by and the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF) and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF).

The Skippers’ Guidebook to Pole-and-Line Fishing Best Practices has been written by fishers, marine scientists and pole-and-line experts. Aimed at one-by-one fishers and fishery stakeholders, the Guidebook offers practical advice on conducting these artisanal tuna fishing operations — from capture to handling and storage methods.

As highlighted in the Guidebook, pole-and-line fishing has gained attention as a responsible method of harvesting tuna. With the growing consumer awareness about the sustainability of seafood resources, this Guidebook is well placed to provide a resource for fishers globally to optimise the efficiency of their operations, maximise catch quality and recognise and address the environmental impacts of their activities in order to reach the increasing demand for pole-and-line caught products.

Topics covered by the guidebook include:

  • Tuna species targeted by pole-and-line fisheries
  • Fishing operations in pole-and-line tuna fishing
  • Tuna catch handling and storage
  • Baitfish catch methods, management, and utilisation in pole-and-line fisheries

The chapters include a comprehensive series of examples and recommendations to help pole-and-line fishers understand and implement best-practise guidance.

Dr. Victor Restrepo, Vice President of Science at ISSF, says: “ISSF is committed to the long-term conservation and sustainable use of global tuna fisheries. That commitment drives the publication of the ISSF Skippers Guidebook series for longline and purse seine vessel fishers, as well as our observer guidebook — sharing best practices with those stakeholders on the front lines of the collaborative work toward sustainable fisheries. Having expert advisors on our respective science committees in common, ISSF is pleased to partner with the International Pole and Line Foundation in expanding such science-based guidance to the pole-and-line sector.”

Martin Purves, Managing Director of IPNLF, adds: “We believe the Skippers’ Guidebook will prove an important, practical resource not only for the many thousands of pole-and-line fishers around the world, but also for all those many more people connected to these supply chains. The profile of pole-and-line fishing has reached new levels, not only due to the low environmental impacts of these fisheries, but increasingly also because of the social benefits that they bring to the coastal communities connected to them. Like any catch method there is significant scope for further improvements in the sustainability aspects of these fisheries, providing markets with higher quality, more responsibly sourced tuna. There’s no question that this is what today’s consumers are looking for.”

The Skippers’ Guidebook to Pole-and-Line Fishing Best Practices is available online on the ISSF and IPNLF websites.

http://ipnlf.org/resources/ipnlf-documents/document/pole-line-skippers-guidebook

https://iss-foundation.org/download-monitor-demo/download-info/issf-ipnlf-skippers-guidebook-to-pole-and-line-fishing-best-practices/

Groups praise updated US government seafood guidance

July 9, 2019 — U.S. seafood groups are lauding an updated government guidance that encourages pregnant and breastfeeding women and children to eat more seafood.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is updating its 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in 2017, which recommends that Americans eat at least eight ounces of seafood per week, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. While FDA did not increase the amount of seafood adults should eat, it is emphasizing the nutritional benefits – particularly to pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as children – of eating at least eight ounces of seafood weekly.

The agency also aims to help consumers who should limit their exposure to mercury choose from the many types of fish that are lower in mercury – “including ones commonly found in grocery stores, such as salmon, shrimp, pollock, canned light tuna, tilapia, catfish and cod,” the FDA said in a press release.

However, “it is important to note that women who might become pregnant, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding – along with young children – should avoid the few types of commercial fish with the highest levels of mercury listed on the chart,” FDA said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

US operator to slash Pacific tuna fleet, citing lack of gov’t support

July 3, 2019 — The South Pacific Tuna Corporation (SPTC), a major player in the US-flagged tuna fleet based in the US territory of American Samoa, will sell eight purse seiners and lay off a dozen captains by year-end, the company said.

The company will also make cuts at its corporate office in San Diego, California, as it cuts its fleet to six vessels.

Doug Hines, SPTC’s executive director, cited a lack of US government interest and support as the major drivers behind the decision.

“Our fleet reduction is due in part to the US government’s continued lack of support and the lack of interest in ratifying the 1988 South Pacific Tuna Treaty, renegotiated in 2016,” said Hines said. “Despite our efforts to work with the Trump Administration, the National Marine Fisheries Service has not reciprocated and continues its overly aggressive compliance and enforcement actions.”

SPTC suggested in a press release that the diminishing of the US fleet in the western Pacific will mean a decline in US influence in the region during a time when China, Korea, and Russia take a larger role.

“In the global priorities of the US Government, the Western Pacific has become an afterthought,” said Hines. “But as president Ronald Reagan recognized in 1988, the South Pacific Tuna Treaty is a critical step to ensuring American vessels and commerce continue to lead in the region and the world. The reduction of the U.S. fleet will be a devastating blow for the international policy community as well as the Western Pacific sustainable fishery ecosystem.”

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Fishery Managers Recommend Removing Bigeye Tuna Quota Limit for US Pacific Territories Consistent with International Provisions

June 28, 2019 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, yesterday in Honolulu, recommended removing the 2,000 metric (mt) annual catch limit for bigeye tuna caught by longline in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) for the US Pacific Territories of American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Removal of the catch limit would bring parity between the US Territories and other Territories and Small Island Developing States (SIDs) in the region. The recommendation will go the US Secretary of Commerce for approval as part of Amendment 9 to the Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) for the Western Pacific Region.

Under the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), an international regional fishery management organization to which the United States belongs, Participating Territories (including the US Territories) and SIDS have no longline-caught bigeye tuna limit in the WCPO. This is because the WCPFC recognizes the aspiration of SIDS and Participating Territories to develop their fisheries. The Council, however, recommended and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) established limits of 2,000 mt per US Territory under Amendment 7 of the Pelagic FEP for the Western Pacific Region. This was at a time when there was some concern about the status of the Pacific bigeye tuna stock. Subsequently, the 2017 and 2018 bigeye tuna stock assessments by the Pacific Community (SPC), the science provider for the WCPFC, show the Western stock as being neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing.

Besides removing the WCPO longline-caught bigeye limit for the US Territories, the Council yesterday recommended that each US Territory be allowed to allocate up to 1,500 mt of its quota to federally permitted, Hawai’i-based longline vessels under specified fishing agreements for fishing years 2020 through 2023. Currently under Amendment 7 of the Pelagic FEP, the allocation level is set at 1,000 mt per Territory per year.

Fees paid by vessels to the Territories under these agreements are deposited into the Western Pacific Sustainable Fisheries Fund (WPSFF) for projects identified by the governor of each Territory in its respective Marine Conservation Plan (MCP). The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Regional Office oversees the WPSFF, while the Council administers sub-awards from the fund to the Territories. The Council has recommended that fees from the agreements go directly to the Territories, which would require a revision to the section regarding the WPSFF in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Eric Kingma, executive director of the Hawaii Longline Association (HLA), noted during public comments that the allocation increase would provide “more flexibility in these agreements, as well as the utilization of a resource that is not experiencing overfishing or overfished, and the opportunity for Territories to benefit.”

FAST FACTS ABOUT THE HAWAII LONGLINE BIGEYE TUNA FISHERY AND QUOTA

  • Local longline fleet for bigeye tuna is the largest food producer in Hawai’i, landingabout 5,358 mt based on 2017 data. This better reflects the capacity of the fleet and the demand of its market.
  • About 80 percent of the landings remain in the islands, yet the amount of imports of fish species targeted by the local fisheries has been increasing.
  • The US quota of longline-caught bigeye tuna in the WPCO set by the WCPFC for 2018-2020 is 3,554 mt. This amount is based on the catch by the Hawai’i-based longline fleet in 2014 minus a few incremental decreases over the years.

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, the Council has authority over fisheries seaward of state waters in Hawaiʻi and other US Pacific Islands. The Council meeting concludes today at the YWCA Fuller Hall at 1040 Richards St. For more information, go to www.wpcouncil.org; email info@wpcouncil.org or phone (808) 522-8220.

Hawaii’s Longliners Could Soon Be Allowed To Catch 18 Million Pounds Of Tuna

June 27, 2019 — Hawaii’s longline fishermen will be able to catch nearly 18 million pounds of bigeye tuna next year under a recommendation adopted Wednesday by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

That’s more than double the limit set by the international body that regulates fishing in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, but they skirt that by allocating the additional catch to U.S. Pacific island territories.

Federal and industry scientists said the bigeye stock in the region will remain sustainable, and that their modeling does not suggest the increased quota will lead to overfishing.

That’s good news for poke bowl fans and lovers of fresh ahi sashimi. Wespac members said it could mean more stable prices and better availability in local and national markets.

But an increase in fishing concerns environmental groups who highlight how the longliners accidentally catch endangered turtles, dolphins, albatrosses and sharks while targeting tuna.

David Henkin, Honolulu-based staff attorney for Earthjustice, said the longline tuna fishery’s indiscriminate fishing methods — miles of line and thousands of hooks are strung off each boat — kill and injure countless non-target marine species each year.

Wespac’s science committee recommended last week that the full council should let Hawaii’s longliners allocate up to 2,000 tons (4.4 million pounds) in additional catch to each of the three territories.

The Hawaii Longline Association, which represents most of the fleet, had supported that decision as well. Executive Director Eric Kingma said it would be a “wise choice” that provides more flexibility to the industry and more utilization of a resource that is not being overfished.

He was one of the scientists who produced the paper on which the recommendation was made.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat

13 Environmental NGO’s Call For 100% Observer Coverage on Industrial Tuna Fishing Vessels

June 27, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — A total of 13 environmental NGO’s – including Fishwise, International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), Monterey Bay Aquarium, PEW Charitable Trusts and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership – are joining forces to request that Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) that regulate tuna fishing in the Indian, Pacific, Atlantic and Southern Oceans, require observer coverage on all industrial tuna fishing vessels.

According to these NGOs, many tuna fisheries lack independent monitoring of fishing activity. This means that illegal fishing, misreported or unreported catch, as well as bycatch of endangered, threatened and protected species, goes unseen. However, RFMOs could change that by requiring that these tuna fisheries have 100% observer coverage – whether it be human or electric.

“100% observer coverage can and must happen soon,” reads a press release from the organizations. “There are no longer credible reasons to delay. We are committed to working together to make 100% observer coverage a reality.”

As part of their effort, the NGOs are seeking support from fisheries organizations, conservation organizations, and foundations. Consumers can also join the fight by signing a petition posted on The Action Network.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

IOTC adopts 10 percent catch reduction for yellowfin tuna

June 25, 2019 — The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission adopted an overall catch reduction of around 10 percent on yellowfin tuna at its annual meeting in Hyderabad, India, last week.

The environmental non-governmental organization Blue Marine Foundation was one of several NGOs to criticize the move as not going far enough to prevent a collapse of yellowfin stocks in the Indian Ocean.

“By ignoring the advice of their own scientists, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission has once again demonstrated that it is one of the most dysfunctional [United Nations] institutions and desperately in need of reform. The member nations should be sharing the pain of catch reductions made necessary by their incompetent management, rather than avoiding it and making stock collapse more likely,” Blue Marine Foundation Executive Director Charles Clover said. “The [European Union] continues to help itself to a share of the catch that is against its own regulations and the U.N. Law of the Sea. Retailers now need to step up and ask questions about the adverse influence of processors such as Princes and John West and nations guilty of illegal and excessive fishing such as Spain.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

EU, Pacific fish forum engage in first ever policy dialogue

June 24, 2019 — The first ever discussions between the EU and the 17 members of the Forum Fishery Agency (FFA) regarding the management of marine resources took place in Pohnpei, in the Federated States of Micronesia on June 21.

The two-day meeting was arranged under the framework of the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership program (PEUMP), a four-year initiative that aims to reduce levels of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the region, as well as find trade negotiations to remove the need for fishery subsidies.

FFA director general, Manu Tupou-Roosen said: “This policy dialogue is important because it is an opportunity for FFA members and the EU to have an in-depth discussion on key issues relating to the sustainable management of tuna in our region, its importance for Pacific island countries, and our cooperation in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission to tackle issues like IUU fishing.”

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Scientists Recommend Removing Catch Limits for Pacific Territory Longline-Caught Bigeye Tuna

June 24, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee made recommendations regarding bigeye tuna catch limits and allocation amounts for the U.S. Participating Territories for the fishing years 2020 to 2023 when it met last week in Honolulu.

For bigeye tuna, the SSC recommended no catch limit be set for longline-caught bigeye tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) convention area from 2020 to 2023 for any U.S. Pacific territory. It also recommended that each territory be allowed to allocate up to 2,000 metric tons (mt) to federally permitted Hawai’i longline vessels.

The SSC concluded its three-day meeting and will make these and other recommendations to the Council at its 178th meeting in Honolulu this week, June 25-27.

The Commission is an international fishery management organization that develops quotas and other management measures for tuna fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. Under WCPFC, Small Island Developing States and Participating Territories (such as the three U.S. territories in the Pacific: American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) do not have longline-caught bigeye quotas. However, under an amendment to the Council’s Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan, the National Marine Fisheries Service has the authority to specify annual catch and allocation limits for the U.S. Territories. In recent years, each U.S. territory had a 2,000 mt limit and authority to allocate up to 1,000 mt.

Prior to making its decision, the SSC reviewed stock projections through 2045, which showed that catch limit and allocation scenarios of up to 3,000 mt per Territory were not significant enough to cause the stock to go over any limit reference points adopted by the WCPFC.

Other outcomes of the SSC meeting included the following:

Hawaiʻi Kona Crab: Based on updated information from a 2018 benchmark stock assessment and other reports, the SSC set the acceptable biological catch (ABC) for the main Hawaiian Islands Kona crab commercial fishery at 30,802 pounds for 2020 to 2023. This decision accounted for the scientific uncertainties with an estimated risk of overfishing of 38 percent. The Council will utilize the ABC to specify the annual catch limit for the stock.

Shifting Distributions and Changing Productivity: A NMFS Office of Science and Technology representative reported on the major challenges and potential solutions in addressing both shifts in stock distributions as well as changing stock and ecosystem productivity. The presentation identified six steps to account for and respond to climate impacts on fisheries and recommended ways to account or prepare for distribution and productivity shifts. These recommendations are intended to serve as a guide for each region in the development of fishery management actions.

SSC member Ray Hilborn noted, “… where you close [fisheries] now is not where the species are going to be in 20 years.” He also pointed out that non-governmental organizations strongly push for permanently closed areas rather than considering adaptive spatial management.

Spatial Management: A working group of the SSC reported on its efforts to define benefits and limitations to spatial management actions relative to pertinent regional fishery issues and management objectives. The working group discussed the development of a workshop on “Spatial Management of Blue Water Ecosystems” with a broad spectrum of participants to be held in 2019 or 2020. The SSC recommended tht the Council endorse the workshop with the themes of 1) spatial management objectives and performance metrics; 2) alternative approaches to spatial management; 3) evaluation and monitoring; and 4) policy and outreach approaches to spatial management.

The Council will consider these and other SSC recommendations when it meets this week in Honolulu. Action items on the Council agenda include the U.S. Territory bigeye tuna catch and allocation limits; catch limits and options for specifying annual catch limits for main Hawaiian Islands Kona crab; managing loggerhead and leatherback sea turtle interactions in the Hawai’i-based shallow-set longline fishery; and a Hawai’i Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan amendment to precious coral essential fish habitat. The Council will also have a presentation from Global Fishing Watch, an organization that uses technology to visualize, track and share data about global fishing activity.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.