Saving Seafood

Nation’s Fishery Councils Recommend Ways to Support American Seafood, Improve Coordination with NMFS

September 30, 2020 — An executive order, changes to National Environmental Policy Act measures, guidance related to overfishing and a National Seafood Council were among several issues fishery leaders from around the country discussed last week. The biannual meeting of the Council Coordination Committee was held virtually, but hosted by Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

Leaders from all eight regional councils had the opportunity to talk with National Marine Fisheries Service managers during the open public meeting.

Read the full story at Seafood News

WPRMFC gives Trump Administration suggestions to promote seafood

September 28, 2020 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRMFC) has suggested actions to the Trump Administration in order to “promote seafood competitiveness and economic growth and to provide regulatory relief to support economic recovery for the offshore fisheries of Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and eight Pacific Remote Islands (PRIAs),” according to a WPRFMC press release.

Two parties voted against the proposals: the council member representing the Hawai’i State Department of Land and Natural Resources, as well as the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Regional Administrator.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Nation’s Fishery Management Councils Recommend Ways to Support American Seafood, Improve Coordination with National Marine Fisheries Service

September 28, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Leaders of the nation’s eight Regional Fishery Management Councils concluded their second biannual meeting in 2020 yesterday by videoconference. The Council Coordination Committee (CCC) meeting provides the Councils and heads of the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, also known as NOAA Fisheries) an opportunity to discuss issues relevant to all of the Councils. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), each Council is authorized to develop, monitor and amend fishery management plans for federally managed fisheries in its region. Once approved by the Secretary of Commerce, these plans are implemented by NMFS. The two-day meeting was open to the public and hosted by the Western Pacific Council. Among its recommendations, the CCC addressed President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 13921 on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth, new National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) measures issued by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and NMFS coordination on a proposed National Seafood Council and on overfishing technical guidance.

EO 13921 aims to strengthen the American economy, improve the competitiveness of American industry, ensure food security, provide environmentally safe and sustainable seafood, support American workers, remove unnecessary regulatory burdens and ensure coordinated, predictable and transparent Federal actions. At its May 2020 meeting, the CCC released a preliminary joint statement, and, subsequently, each Council provided its own regional recommendations or status in the process of identifying potential changes to regulations, orders, guidance documents and other similar agency actions. The May 2020 CCC letter highlighted the consequences of marine national monuments on the Nation’s fisheries and can be found at www.fisherycouncils.org/ccc-correspondence. Yesterday, the CCC requested that NMFS continue to brief the CCC and the individual Councils on the review and implementation of their recommendations.

EO 13921 also includes actions for more effective permitting related to offshore aquaculture and long-term strategic planning to facilitate aquaculture projects. Taking this into account, the CCC yesterday recommended that its consensus statement on aquaculture be revised and considered for review at the next CCC meeting planned for May 2021.

The CCC also recommended that NMFS coordinate with the Councils to release the aquaculture programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) for public comment. The EIS assesses the impacts of siting aquaculture facilities. The CCC further recommended that NMFS, prior to identification of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOA), provide the spatially referenced data used to identify the AOAs and that the Councils be included on the AOA implementation teams.

Another initiative to support and increase the value of sustainably managed U.S. fisheries is an industry-led National Seafood Council that the NMFS Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee recently recommended. In regard to this proposal, the CCC requested that NMFS evaluate the NOAA FishWatch criteria for the purpose of serving as an equivalent to third-party certification deeming U.S. fishery products as sustainable. The CCC requested that NMFS report on the utility of FishWatch for this purpose and any possible alternatives by the May 2021 CCC meeting. Information on NOAA FishWatch can be found at www.fishwatch.gov.

Several other recommendations by the CCC focused on improving coordination between the Councils and NMFS.

The CCC moved to create a CCC subcommittee to make recommendations to NMFS in developing guidance on the new NEPA rule announced by CEQ on July 15, 2020. Such guidance could include determining and implementing the functional equivalency provision of the new rule, which would address current duplication in MSA and NEPA requirements. Signed into law in 1970, NEPA requires Federal agencies to consider the environmental effects of proposed major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.

The CCC requested that NMFS circulate draft reports of its National Standard 1 Technical Working Groups through the Councils with sufficient time for the Councils to consult with their Scientific and Statistical Committees and develop a response through their full Councils. The MSA contains 10 National Standards. Standard 1 says conservation and management measures must prevent overfishing while achieving, on a continuing basis, optimum yield from each fishery for the U.S. fishing industry. The issues addressed by the Working Groups were estimating fish population reference points, quota carry-over and phased-in catch limits, and alternative management approaches due to data limitations.

The CCC also requested that the NMFS Office of Sustainable Fisheries form a working group comprised of NMFS and Council staff members to determine alternative approaches to the use of annual catch limits (ACLs) to manage data limited stocks. The 2006 reauthorization of the MSA mandated that overfishing be addressed through enforceable ACLs that cannot exceed scientific recommendations. Alternative approaches identified in the CCC recommendation include those that are based on fishing mortality rates, fish lengths and fishing trip limits, among others.

For more information on the CCC meeting, go to http://www.fisherycouncils.org/ccc-meetings/september-2020-ccc-meeting.

More Measures Proposed for Western Pacific Longliners as Managers Agree to Electronic Reporting

September 22, 2020 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council concluded its 2020 third-quarter meeting recently with actions related to electronic reporting for Hawaii longline fisheries, annual catch limits for grey snapper (uku) for years 2022-2025 and more.

Hawaii longliners and those greater than 50 feet long in the American Samoa longline fleet will have to use electronic logbook reporting by the middle of next year, the Council approved in an amendment to the fishery management plan. Under the amendment, vessel operators must record and submit logbook data within 24 hours after completion of each fishing day using an electronic logbook application certified by the National Marine Fisheries Service. In the event of technology malfunction, vessel operators would be required to submit the logbook data by paper or electronically within 72 hours of the end of each fishing trip. The recommended date for implementing mandatory electronic reporting is by July 1, 2021; the regulatory amendment is pending approval by the Secretary of Commerce.

Read the full story at Seafood News

WPRFMC: Federal Fishery Managers Agree to Longline Electronic Reporting, Preliminary Hawai’i Grey Snapper Limits

September 21, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Yesterday, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council concluded its 2020 third-quarter meeting with the following recommendations and actions, among others. The Council is mandated by Congress to manage the fisheries offshore of Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Areas. The complete list of actions taken by the Council at the three-day meeting will be posted at http://www.wpcouncil.org/event/183rd-council-meeting/.

Mandatory Electronic Reporting: The Council took final action on a regulatory amendment for mandatory electronic reporting for vessels operating under the Hawai’i longline limited entry permit and vessels larger than 50 feet in length (i.e., size classes C and D) operating under the American Samoa longline limited entry permit. Under the amendment, vessel operators must record and submit logbook data within 24 hours after completion of each fishing day using an electronic logbook application certified by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). In the event of technology malfunction, vessel operators would be required to submit the logbook data by paper or electronically within 72 hours of the end of each fishing trip. The recommended date for implementing mandatory electronic reporting is by July 1, 2021. This regulatory amendment is pending approval by the Secretary of Commerce.

Main Hawaiian Island Grey Snapper (Uku): The Council selected a preliminary annual catch limit (ACL) of 295,419 for main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) grey snapper for fishing years 2022 to 2025. This ACL corresponds to a 41% risk of overfishing. The Council also selected an annual catch target (ACT) at 36% risk of overfishing, which corresponds to annual catch of 291,010 pounds. The Council will work with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to develop accountability measures to ensure the catch does not exceed the ACL. The Council recommended that accountability measure options be considered that recognize the challenges with tracking catch from the noncommercial fishery. The Council may take final action on the ACL and accountability measures at its meeting in March 2021.

Seabird Mitigation in the Hawai’i Longline Fishery: Hawai’i longline vessels are required to mitigate interactions with seabirds. The Council will be considering including tori lines (also known as bird streamers or bird scare lines) at a future meeting as an additional option to measures already in place. The Council asked NMFS to support at-sea trials for winter 2020/spring 2021 through an Experimental Fishing Permit that would allow testing tori line efficacy without the use of blue-dyed bait when fishing north of 23° N.

North Pacific Striped Marlin: The Council will work with NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) to develop a proposed international measure to limit total catch of North Pacific striped marlin in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean from 2021 to 2024. The North Pacific population is considered to be overfished and subject to overfishing. The Council will work with NMFS PIRO to incorporate U.S. longline catch limits of North Pacific striped marlin at 457 metric tons, consistent with previous Council recommendations, into the proposed measure.

Oceanic Whitetip Sharks: The Council requested NMFS PIFSC to provide updates on its oceanic whitetip shark projects for the Council and Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) to consider at its December 2020 meetings. The species is considered overfished and subject to overfishing and is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The Council also recommended that the Oceanic Whitetip Shark Working Group proceed with analyzing longline mitigation measures and that updates be completed and reviewed by the Council’s Plan Team before the March 2021 SSC meeting.

Advisory Committees: The Council approved the membership of the Non-Commercial Fishing Advisory Committee to include the Hawai’i Marine Recreational Fishing Survey coordinator, NMFS PIRO recreational fishing coordinator,NMFS PIFSC recreational fishing coordinator,Saipan Fishermen’s Association representative,Pago Pago Gamefish Association Representative, Shut Up and Fish (Guam noncommercial), Hawaii Fishermen’s Alliance for Conservation and Tradition representative(s), Pacific Islands Fisheries Group representative(s) and Hawai’i fishing club representative(s).

The Council also approved the following proposed new members of the Fishing Industry Advisory Committee: Michael Goto (United Fishing Agency, Ltd., Hawai’i), Kerry Umamoto (Hilo Fish Company, Hawai’i), Josh Schade (Ahi Assassins, Hawai’i), Eric Kingma (Hawaii Longline Association, Hawai’i), Kenton Geer (commercial seamount fisherman, Hawai’i),Carlos Herrera (Hitman’s Tackle, Guam), Vince Haleck (Tautai O Samoa Association, American Samoa), Lino Tenorio (commercial bottomfish fisherman, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) and Dean Sensui (Hawaii Goes Fishing, Western Pacific Region).

Offshore Energy: The Council adopted an offshore energy policy that takes into account potential impacts of such developments to federal fisheries, habitat and ecosystem.

For more information, contact the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or at (808) 522-8220.

Council Identifies Priorities for US Pacific Island Fishery Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief

September 17, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, meeting virtually this week, recommended actions the Trump Administration could take to promote seafood competitiveness and economic growth and to provide regulatory relief to support economic recovery for the offshore fisheries of Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and eight Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIAs). The Council member representing the Hawai’i State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and the NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) voted in opposition.

The Council’s recommendations to the Administration respond to President Trump’s Executive Orders (EOs) 13921 and 13924 issued on May 7 and May 19, 2020, respectively. The purposes of EO 13921 include removing outdated and unnecessarily burdensome regulations and improving transparency and efficiency of environmental reviews, among others. Section 4 of EO asks for each of the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils to provide a prioritized list of recommended actions that would reduce burdens on domestic fishing and increase production within sustainable fisheries.

The Council’s list includes improving implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under the current process, the Hawai’i shallow-set longline fishery has experienced three seasons of restricted fishing following a May 2018 lawsuit settlement that arbitrarily reduced the fishery’s allowable incidental catch of loggerhead turtles to 17. Nearly all of these sea turtles are released alive. The Council recommended that Reasonable and Prudent Measures (RPMs) developed to ensure the continued existence of an ESA-listed species should be indeed “reasonable” and commensurate with the relative impact to the ESA-listed population. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Fishery Science Center (PIFSC), the Hawai’i shallow-set longline fishery has no discernable impact on the loggerhead population. The Council also recommended that ESA environmental reviews of fisheries be completed within the 135-day statutory timeline and that RPMs be developed with the councils and implemented under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). The Council also recommended that ESA listings be revised where populations are increasing and threats do not pose immediate danger of extinction. The North Pacific loggerhead sea turtle population, for example, has been increasing by more than 2.4% annually.

Another item on the Council’s list is removal of the fishing prohibitions in the four Marine National Monuments in the Pacific and returning management of federally regulated fisheries in monument waters to the MSA. The Pacific monuments comprise half of the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the region.

The Council also proposed exempting manmade and degraded environments, such as harbors, from being classified as essential fish habitat (EFH), i.e., waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding or growth to maturity. The exemption would address lengthy delays and unreasonable conservation actions that hamper harbor improvements and maintenance as these waters are currently considered EFH.

Among other actions taken by the Council during the first half of this week’s meeting are the following:

  • Hawai’i Shallow-Set Longline Fishery: The Council requested that NMFS PIRO work with it and Hawai’i shallow-set longline industry representatives to establish communication procedures that would provide permit holders and vessel owners with timely turtle interaction updates based on observer data. This would ensure that the fleet has access to all available information for the purpose of minimizing interactions with loggerhead and leatherback turtles and complying with new trip limit regulations of two leatherback and five North Pacific loggerhead turtle interactions, which begin tomorrow.
  • Marianas Trench Marine National Monument: The Council requested PIRO and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to reconstitute the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument Advisory Council prior to the publication of the Draft
  • Marianas Trench Marine National Monument Management Plan to ensure comprehensive review of the plan.
    CNMI Fisheries Safety at Sea: The Council requested that the U.S. Coast Guard provide an automatic identification system transmitting beacon and navigational lights on Aguigan (Goat Island) and Anatahan to assist fishermen in identifying the island and to repair navigational lights on Rota and Tinian. The Council also asked NOAA to fix VHF Channel 2 (24-hour weather forecast) broadcasted from Saipan.
  • American Samoa Fisheries: The Council directed its staff to work with the Territory’s Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources to assist eligible fishery participants with completing the requirements to submit CARES Act funding applications and provide updates on the proposal status to the fishing community.
  • PRIA Marine Conservation Plan: The Council modified the objectives and projects in the plan to include longline considerations.

The meeting continues tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.(HST). The public is invited to participate and to provide comments. The meeting agenda, briefing documents and instructions on connecting to the virtual meeting can be found online at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars or by contacting the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or at (808) 522-8220.

Recommendations Advance from Scientists to Federal Fishery Managers on Hawai’i Small Boat, Hawai’i Grey Snapper, Hawai’i and American Samoa Longline Fisheries

September 14, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and its Standing Committees will meet virtually by web conference (Webex) Sept. 14-17, 2020, to discuss management of federally regulated fisheries in offshore waters surrounding Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and eight Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIAs). The meeting agendas, briefing documents and instructions on connecting to Webex can be found online at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars or by contacting the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or at (808) 522-8220. The Pelagic and International Standing Committee and Executive and Budget Standing Committee will meet noon to 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (HST), respectively, on Monday. The Council will meet 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. In its deliberations, the Council will consider public comments and recommendations from its advisory bodies, including the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), which met virtually Sept. 9 and 10, 2020. Among the items to be considered by the Council are the following:

Hawai’i Small-Boat Fishery: The Council will explore options to require mandatory federal permits and reporting for small-boat vessels fishing in federal waters around Hawai’i (3 to 200 miles from shore). Small boat is defined as those vessels using fishing gear other than longline. The goal is to better understand the impact of fishing, particularly by noncommercial vessels, on federally managed species. Currently, only the commercial and bottomfish sectors of the Hawai’i small-boat fishery are required to have permits. Other than the commercial vessels, only the noncommercial bottomfish vessels operating in federal waters are required to provide catch reports.

CURRENT PERMIT & REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR HAWAI’I OFFSHORE FISHERIES

  • Commercial fishermen operating in state or federal waters must have a state-issued commercial marine license and report their catches.
  • Commercial and noncommercial fishermen targeting seven species of deep-water bottomfish in state or federal waters around Hawai’i must register their vessels with the State, but the noncommercial vessels operating solely in state waters are not required to provide reports. For the fishing year 2019-2020, which ended Aug. 31, a total of 934 main Hawaiian Islands Deep-7 bottomfish vessels were registered. Of these vessels, 280 were noncommercial.
  • Noncommercial vessels targeting Deep 7 bottomfish in federal waters are required to have a federal permit and report their catches. Currently, only two vessels are federally permitted and no reports have been provided recently.

The Council held public scoping meetings around the Hawaiian Islands in February 2020 and a virtual Fishers Forum that included a presentation and public discussion on the proposed action on Aug. 27, 2020. The SSC this week recommended that the Council consider a pilot mandatory permitting and reporting project for the Hawai’i small boat fishery to be conducted on a small-scale across on all island areas. The SSC reiterated its position that all fish caught in the fishery should be counted. However, it also noted that enforcement would be a major challenge. The pilot permitting project may provide an opportunity to promote buy-in from the noncommercial fishing community and data to inform a full-scale permitting and reporting scheme including catch-and-effort data for the noncommercial sector.

Grey Snapper Annual Catch Limits: Hawai’i grey snapper, known locally as uku, is managed federally under an annual catch limit (ACL). The fishing year for the species runs Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. The Council is set to recommend the uku ACL for fishing years 2022-2025. The ACL can be equal to the acceptable biological catch, which is determined by the SSC, or below it in consideration of social, economic, ecological and management uncertainties. At its meeting last week, the SSC set the acceptable biological catch at 135,000 metric tons (297,624 pounds), which equates to a 43% risk of overfishing.

Longline Mandatory Electronic Reporting: The Council is expected to take final action on mandatory electronic reporting for longline fisheries in the Western Pacific Region. The proposed measure would require vessel operators to record and submit logbook data electronically using an electronic logbook application certified by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). If the Council moves forward with the proposed measure, it will consider whether to apply it to the Hawai’i longline fishery alone or also to the American Samoa limited entry vessel size classes C and D (50 feet in length or greater).

Longline Seabird Interaction Mitigation: The Council will consider a preliminary report on demonstrations and field trials to evaluate the practicality and efficacy of tori lines (also known as streamer lines or bird scarring lines) for mitigating albatross interactions in the Hawai’i deep-set longline fishery. Preliminary results indicate that tori lines are effective in reducing albatross contacts on baited hooks when used in conjunction with existing seabird bycatch mitigation measures. Last week, the SSC reviewed the report and recommended that the Council consider including tori lines as an additional seabird mitigation option for all Hawai’i longline fisheries.

PRIA Marine Conservation Plan: In June 2020, the Council approved the Marine Conservation Plan (MCP) for the PRIAs and directed staff to transmit the document to the NMFS Regional Administrator for review, approval and publication in the Federal Register. Subsequently, Council staff found that the MCP objectives and activities were inconsistent with the longline fisheries for the region and should be updated. Council staff updated the objectives and included projects supporting the longline fisheries of the region. The Council will review and consider approving the revised MCP.

Scientists to Set Acceptable Biological Catch for Main Hawaiian Islands Uku and Consider Hawaii Small-Boat Fisheries Management Options

September 3, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Scientists from throughout the Pacific will convene Sept. 9-10, 2020, to discuss fishery management issues and make management recommendations for fisheries in the Western Pacific Region. The meeting of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council 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/137th-scientific-and-statistical-committee-meeting. Among the agenda items are the following:

Main Hawaiian Islands Uku

The SSC will set the acceptable biological catch for the main Hawaiian Islands uku (grey snapper) fishery for fishing years 2022-2025. The best scientific information available for fishery management decisions is the 2020 stock assessment with catch projections to 2026. Based on this information, the maximum sustainable yield is estimated to be 204,972 pounds and the overfishing limit is 301,948 pounds. A panel of fishermen, fishery scientists and managers evaluated the social, ecological, economic and management uncertainties associated with the assessment and quantified a risk level for the SSC to consider.

Hawaiʻi Small-Boat Fisheries

Information on Hawaiʻi small-boat fisheries, which does not include the Hawaiʻi longline vessels, is currently insufficient for robust fisheries management. The Council will consider options that include no action, variations on a mandatory permitting and reporting system (including by sector or by species), a registry system and a pilot permit system. The Council held a virtual Fishers Forum and public meeting to discuss these options Aug. 27, 2020. The SSC will hear a report about the public meeting and an analysis of the options and may choose to recommend one for Council consideration.

Oceanic Whitetip Sharks

The SSC will hear a report on population projections for the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) stock of oceanic whitetip sharks, a species that was overfished per a 2019 assessment and listed under the Endangered Species Act. Population projections for the stock assess the impact of internationally implemented conservation and management measures since 2013 (which prohibit shark retention and ban the use of “shark lines”) and are based on expected catches throughout the Pacific. The projections use updated estimates of post-release mortality. The SSC may make recommendations on the projections and report.

North Pacific Striped Marlin

Following a Council recommendation on phased catch reductions for striped marlin, the SSC will also review and may make recommendations on a rebuilding plan for North Pacific striped marlin and allocations of international catch limits. The stock has been internationally overfished per a 2019 stock assessment. The Council is required to address relative impacts of domestic fisheries and international overfishing per the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Approximately 6% of reported North Pacific striped marlin landings since 1975 is attributed to U.S. Pacific fisheries, including the Hawaiʻi longline fishery.

Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets Sept. 14-17, 2020, virtually with host sites at Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Dr., Hagatna, Guam; Hyatt Regency Saipan, Royal Palm Ave., Micro Beach Rd., Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI); and Department of Port Administration, Airport Conference Room, Pago Pago International Airport, Tafuna Village, American Samoa. Instructions on connecting to the web conference, agendas and briefing documents will be 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.

Western Pacific Council Considers Changes to Small Boat Fisheries Sector in September

September 2, 2020 — A virtual Fishers Forum in Hawaii started the conversation — and a mandatory five-year review — of Hawaii’s small-boat fisheries management last week. The subject of possibly opening areas around Hawaii prohibited to longline fishing did not sit well.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council proposed a discussion of opening the areas and also options of mandatory permitting and reporting in the nearshore areas. The longline closure area around the main Hawaiian islands that extends up to 75 miles offshore may no longer be necessary and the Council wanted to hear what fishermen thought.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Council Holds First Virtual Fishers Forum Highlighting Fishermen Contributions to Science and Management

September 1, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

More than 100 people participated in the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s first virtual Fishers Forum and review of Hawaiʻi small-boat fisheries management Aug. 27, 2020. The theme for the forum was fishermen, particularly non-commercial fishermen, contributing to the knowledge base for fishery scientists and managers. Scientists highlighted research projects that depend upon fishermen input and collaboration to be successful. Council staff informed participants about Hawaiʻi small-boat fishery management regulations currently in place and discussed future options for mandatory permitting and reporting.

Hawaiʻi small-boat fishery management and other matters will be considered by the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee when it meets Sept. 9-10, 2020, by web conference (Webex) and during the Council meeting Sept. 15-17, 2020, also by web conference with host sites at Cliff Point, 304 W. O’Brien Dr., Hagatna, Guam; Hyatt Regency Saipan, Royal Palm Ave., Micro Beach Rd., Saipan, CNMI; and Department of Port Administration, Airport Conference Rm., Pago Pago International Airport, Tafuna Village, American Samoa. Instructions on connecting to Webex, agendas and briefing documents will be posted at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars.

Fishermen Helping Science

Molly Lutcavage, Pacific Islands Fisheries Group (PIFG) and Large Pelagics Research Center, demonstrated how fishermen helped to identify tuna movement patterns through fish tagging, which is critical to answering many scientific and management questions. Cassie Pardee and John Wiley, Poseidon Fisheries Research, shared how biosamples provided by fishermen, primarily at fishing tournaments, contributed to the determination of coral reef fish life history characteristics such as life span and reproductive age and size. Justin Hospital, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Fishery Science Center (PIFSC), emphasized that fishermen’s responses to socioeconomic surveys is critical to support effective fisheries management because it helps NMFS better understand the fishing community and its motivations and the benefits and costs of regulations, among other issues.

Review of Hawaiʻi Small-Boat Fisheries Management

Council staff gave an overview of Hawaiʻi small-boat fisheries regulations in effect and current sources of fishery data. Non-commercial fishermen are not required to report their fishing effort, catch or participation, resulting in the bulk of the data used in management decisions coming from commercial data logbooks and non-commercial estimates derived from surveys and models, which are highly uncertain. This uncertainty may lead to future possible allocation management measures between non-commercial and commercial sectors.

The Magnuson Stevens Act, under which the Council operates, requires the regular review of fishery ecosystem management plans to evaluate their effectiveness. During his opening remarks at the forum, Ed Watamura, Council vice chair for Hawaiʻi, asked listeners to imagine “fishery regulations that are created and never revisited, never reviewed and never taken off the books, even though they are not working and not enforceable.” In October 2019, the Council directed staff to review Hawaiʻi small-boat fisheries management. The overall process of reviewing regulations includes many steps such as the public scoping meetings held in February 2020 across the state that pointed at the need for non-commercial fishery data, and developing options for mandatory permitting and reporting.

The options presented ranged from taking no action, continuing to rely on existing data gathering methods and potentially leading to impacts from quotas and international management, to mandatory reporting that would provide the data needed for science and management in federal waters but would require fishermen to apply for permits or provide catch reports, something that would be unfamiliar to them.

Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Council has worked to resolve conflicts between longline vessels and small-boat fisheries due to overlapping fishing grounds and effort. Longliners from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean traveled as close as three miles out from the main Hawaiian Islands to set their lines. In response, the Council initiated 50 and 75-mile longline exclusion zones.

Several forum participants expressed concern about the possibility of removing the longline exclusion area, while others echoed the need for more fishery data, asked about plans for additional fish aggregating devices and encouraged the Council to focus their efforts on marketing and promoting local, fresh seafood.