March 22, 2021 — Scientists are proposing measures to ensure Pacific fisheries end overfishing of the North Pacific striped marlin population.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee this week suggested several actions in order to satisfy the Magnuson-Stevens Act obligation both internationally via the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and domestically.
March 19, 2021 — HONOLULU — The following was released by the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council:
The SSC suggested several actions to end overfishing of North Pacific striped marlin in order to satisfy the Magnuson-Stevens Act (Section 304(i)) obligation both internationally via the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and domestically. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council made these and other recommendations during its three-day virtual meeting this week.
International recommendations included improving standardized reporting of billfish catch and discards for all WCPFC fisheries; using circle hooks in all WCPFC longline fisheries; limiting WCPFC member catches to approximately 1 million pounds (500 metric tons) per year; and supporting a consultative rebuilding plan.
A new stock assessment may be provided in 2022 and the SSC proposed that discard mortality (fish that don’t survive capture and release) be included within future rebuilding scenario analyses. The SSC also recommended that future rebuilding efforts utilize a phased-in approach over several years based on a target catch rate rather than a rebuilding timeline.
To support U.S. Pacific Territory data collection efforts, the SSC recommended the integration of creel survey, commercial receipt book, biosampling and app-based data collection systems, such as the Council’s Catchit Logit app, to generate the necessary data from different segments of the fisheries. The Council, territorial fishery management agencies and NMFS are working closely to meet the requirements for stock assessments and address deficiencies in data-limited or data-poor fisheries.
The SSC also recommended supporting an experimental study to evaluate the effectiveness of various mitigation combinations to reduce seabird interactions in the Hawaiʻi shallow-set longline fishery. Currently, if setting off the stern of the boat, conservation measures require the vessel to start setting its gear one hour after sunset (night-setting), use blue-dyed bait and strategic discharge of fish parts and spent bait.
Night-setting, while considered to be a “gold standard” for seabird mitigation, prevents shallow-set longline fishermen from adjusting their setting time according to the moon phase to optimize swordfish catch. Fishermen have expressed interest in testing out a new combination of mitigation measures, including tori (bird scaring) lines, to improve operational efficiency while ensuring impacts to seabirds remain low in the fishery.
Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets March 23-25, 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 Drive, Hagatña, Guam. On the first day, NMFS will give a briefing on President Biden’s Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.
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.
March 4, 2021 — The Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.-based Coast Guard cutter Kimball wrapped up a two-week expeditionary patrol in support of counter-illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fisheries enforcement, “furthering the United States’ commitment to regional security and partnerships,” according to Coast Guard officials.
The Kimball is one of the newest national security cutters to be home-ported in Hawaii. The advanced 418-foot ships displace 4,600 long tons. With a top speed in excess of 28 knots and a range of 12,000 nautical miles, it can maintain patrols up to 90 days, carrying a crew of up to 150.
February 26, 2021 — The Honolulu-based Coast Guard cutter Kimball wrapped up a two-week expeditionary patrol in support of counter-illegal, unreported and unregulated fisheries enforcement, “furthering the United States’ commitment to regional security and partnerships,” according to Coast Guard officials.
The Kimball is one of the newest national security cutters to be homeported in Hawaii. The advanced 418-foot ships displace 4,600 long tons displacement. With a top speed in excess of 28 knots and range of 12,000 nautical miles, they can maintain patrols up to 90 days, carrying a crew of up to 150.
The Kimball deployment was part of Operation Blue Pacific, with goals of maintaining stability and security throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The crew is trained in “targeted and intelligence-driven enforcement actions as well as counter predatory irresponsible maritime behavior,” according to the Coast Guard.
While patrolling 3,600 miles in the Philippine Sea, the Kimball’s law enforcement team conducted its first ever at-sea boarding. The mission included multilateral fisheries enforcement on behalf of international management groups such as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
January 29, 2021 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:
The Indonesia pole-and-line and handline, skipjack and yellowfin tuna of Western and Central Pacific archipelagic waters is the third tuna fishery in Indonesia to meet the globally recognized standard for sustainable fishing, set by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an environmental non-profit.
The certification signals an encouraging result for the Indonesian Pole and Line and Handline Tuna Fisheries Association (AP2HI) and the International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF) that manage the fishery and have committed to ensuring all Indonesian tuna fisheries become sustainable.
To be MSC certified, a fishery must show the stock it catches is healthy, that it minimizes its impact on the environment and has effective management in place.
Around 60% of the total 11,000 tons caught by the certificate holders is yellowfin tuna, distributed as loin, poke (pronounced poh-keh) and saku, while the certified skipjack will be sold as frozen product to export markets in the U.S and UK.
Eight fisheries are involved, consisting of 380 fishing vessels, scattered throughout the Indonesian archipelago from North Sulawesi and North Maluku to the Banda Sea, and East and West Flores.
Independent assessors, NSF International, determined the fishery should be certified following detailed assessments and stakeholder consultations with the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) – the regional body responsible for 60% of the world’s tuna catch – as well as national and provincial government.
As MSC fisheries are expected to meet a high bar for sustainable fishing, the association has eight goals it must meet within five years to retain its certificate, relating to harvest strategies and stock management.
The MSC is working with the fishing industry in Indonesia, to help more fisheries to achieve sustainable fishing.
Members of Indonesian Pole and Line and Handline Tuna Fisheries Association (AP2HI) have been in a fishery improvement project since 2014 and have been in part supported through MSC’s Fish for Good project.
In 2019, the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and the MSC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), affirming a joint commitment to strengthening collaboration on sustainable fishing. In May 2020, the North Buru and Maluku Fair Trade Fishing Associations, Indonesian Handline Yellowfin Tuna was certified to the MSC Standards, the second fishery in Indonesia, demonstrating the success of the MoU.
Asia Pacific Director at the Marine Stewardship Council, Patrick Caleo, stated: “We extend our congratulations to AP2HI for their hard work and success in progressing another tuna fishery to achieve MSC certification. Managing various fisheries with different specifications for assessment needs a rigorous strategy and clear implementation.”
Acting Director General of Capture Fisheries, the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Ir. Muhammad Zaini, M.M. said: “Again, we have successfully shown the world our commitment towards sustainable tuna fishing in Indonesia. As the one of the largest tuna producers in the world, it is vital we enable the certification journey through a fisheries improvement project in order to sustainably grow while remaining viable for future livelihoods. Support from stakeholders to our small-scale tuna fisheries which help accelerate progress towards sustainability, is pivotal to this goal. Indonesia is proud to have our third tuna fishery meet the highest global fisheries sustainability standard.”
Chairwoman of the Pole & Line and Handline Fishery Association, Janti Djuari said: “Working together towards sustainable fisheries has been our commitment since 2012. Certification owned by the association is a synergy of collective industry with support from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, local government, business, IPNLF and other stakeholders – and provides value added to the sustainable skipjack and yellowfin tuna stock. Even though 2020 was colored by the pandemic impacting the tuna business in Indonesia, this certification is a new start. We are confident that this certification will encourage our members in the association to develop a more sustainable and traceable fishing practice.
Director of IPNLF Southeast Asia, Jeremy Crawford, said: “We are pleased to be part of this important process of building value in the local one-by-one tuna supply chains. Together with our local partners, and with the support of the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), IPNLF has been able to realize significant improvements in fishery operations, governance, and in securing livelihoods. Members of IPNLF and supply chain partners, such as AP2HI, play an important role in securing the sustainability pillars – environmental, social and economic benefits – which is our first priority. This is the only way to ensure that vulnerable communities are securing access to food security and economic well-being for the long term.”
December 17, 2020 — The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) annual meeting ended on Tuesday, 15 December, and while the members were lauded for agreeing to a rollover of its vital tropical tuna measure, the commission failed to address the human rights and labor issues regarding observer and and crew safety the tuna-fishing sector.
Before its meeting, the WCPFC was lobbied by U.K. NGO Human Rights at Sea to adopt a CMM to address observer-related issues that include a lack of transparency in reporting of fisheries observer-related safety incidents, lack of availability of comprehensive employment contracts, and the need for the fisheries observers to access professional insurance provisions, among other recommendations.
December 16, 2020 — The 27 members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) have approved the rollover of the tropical tuna measure for bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna, which without a consensus would have expired in February 2021.
The move by the WCPFC is in contrast with the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), which failed to reach a consensus on regulations, leaving the fishery unmanaged beginning 1 January, 2021. The renewal by the WCPFC is considered a victory, but the Pacific Islands Forum’s Fisheries Forum Agency (FFA) said much work remains left to be tackled at next year’s tuna commission.
December 7, 2020 — More bigeye tuna may be available for U.S. fishermen in the Pacific next year, if U.S. fishery managers can successfully negotiate the proposed increase.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council supported the U.S. proposal to revise the conservation and management measure for tropical tunas, which expires in February 2021, and increase the U.S. bigeye tuna quota by 3,000 metric tons to 6,554 mt at the upcoming Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting next week.
December 4, 2020 — The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission will hold its regular annual session from 7 to 15 December, with the renewal of the tropical tuna measure on bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin billed as the main topic up for discussion.
The meeting, WCPFC17, has been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced the commission to meet virtually, according to WCPFC Executive Director Feleti Teo.
December 4, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council supported the U.S. proposal to revise the conservation and management measure for tropical tunas, which expires in February 2021, and increase the U.S. bigeye tuna quota by 3,000 metric tons (mt) to 6,554 mt. The annual meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (Commission), an international fishery management organization, begins (virtually) next week. The stock is not overfished nor experiencing overfishing. In the past, U.S. negotiations in the Commission have failed to increase its bigeye tuna quota. The United States has the smallest catch quota of the member nations, yet it contributes the highest observer coverage and the highest compliance record. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, observer coverage has been maintained.
The United States has been generous to member countries of the Commission. In 2018, the United States Agency for International Development reported $1.6 billion went to Commission members, mainly supporting economic development. “U.S. fisheries are the best managed in the world and the Hawaiʻi longline fishery deserves an increase in their bigeye quota,” said Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds. The Council also endorsed the U.S. proposal for North Pacific striped marlin that supports meeting the rebuilding plan adopted by the Commission.
To meet Magnuson-Stevens Act domestic obligations regarding overfishing of striped marlin, the Council directed the staff to prepare a regulatory measure that uses the best scientific information available (BSIA) to reduce domestic catches relative to 2013-2017 as advised in a 2019 stock assessment.
A conservation effort developed by the Hawaiʻi deep-set longline fishing industry to further reduce interactions and post-hooking deaths of oceanic whitetip sharks, leatherback turtles and other protected species will be considered for incorporation into the Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan, at the direction of the Council. The Council directed staff to prepare a regulatory amendment by its March 2021 meeting that, among other measures, evaluates options prohibiting wire leaders in the fishery.
The Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) presented its initiative to voluntarily change the fleet’s gear to the Council which met in Honolulu this week. The proposal would replace the current wire leaders used on fishing gear with monofilament ones, which are better for the species that occasionally interact with them.
“The fishing gear transition from wire to monofilament nylon leaders is transformational for our fleet,” said HLA Executive Director Eric Kingma. Council member Michael Tosatto, regional administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Regional Office, said, “We at NOAA Fisheries applaud HLA for this proactive, positive development and we are committed to helping industry with its implementation.”
Whether or not any proposed regulatory change could be implemented before next summer, the HLA has committed to making this change on all of the vessels operated by their members no later than July 2021. The HLA is currently evaluating changes to fishing procedures to ensure that the gear change can be made while minimizing risk of injury to crewmembers.
The Council concluded the first day of its three-day virtual meeting yesterday with discussions and recommendations regarding pelagic and international fisheries. The meeting continues through Dec. 4, 2020, by web conference (Webex). 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 and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Areas.