Saving Seafood

New film highlights resilience of Guam deep-sea fishers

May 18, 2022 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Guam Museum will screen the new documentary “Open Ocean Fishing in the Mariana Archipelago”  Saturday, May 28, at 2 p.m. A panel discussion with fishermen from Guam and the Commonwealth  of the Northern Mariana Islands will follow, and be live-streamed on the Guam Museum’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts. Admission is free.

The original inhabitants of the Mariana Islands were great open-ocean fishermen for 3,000 years, catching marlin and other deep-sea fish from their sailing canoes. After Spanish colonization in 1668, warfare, disease and the relocation of the remaining people put a stop to CHamorus  building their såkman canoes, sailing between islands. It led to a 200-year gap (1750-1950) where they did not fish in the open ocean. After World War II, and with the introduction of modern boats with motors, CHamorus have returned to the open ocean, leading to a resurgence in deep-sea fishing.

The screening and panel discussion is the fourth Heritage-Ideas-Traditions-Arts or HITA Talk of 2022, a monthly education program and lecture series offered by the Guam Museum. Funded by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, directed by Judy Amesbury and produced by Shooting Star Productions, the film is also available on the Council’s YouTube page: youtube.com/watch?v=jf56B6YaJ0I.

“We are excited to have Ms. Amesbury present her video on this topic,” said Dr. Michael Bevacqua, Guam Museum curator. “In our permanent exhibit, we have a section on ancient CHamorus’ skill in deep-sea fishing, alongside an image and model of a 15-foot-long blue marlin caught off the coast of Litekyan that held the world record for a number of years.” Bevacqua added, “People find this connection from past to present fascinating, and this documentary and HITA Talk can help bring out this cultural continuity.”

Judith R. Amesbury earned her degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona. She has worked with Micronesian Archaeological  Research Services, Guam, for more than 25 years. Her area of expertise is marine resource use. Amesbury has authored numerous reports and publications about fishing  and invertebrate collecting, and shell artifacts in the Mariana Islands.

The  Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management 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.

Read the full release at Mariana Variety

 

 

Western Pacific Council Asks for Remedies to ESA Consultation Delays, Monument Management Plans

March 29, 2022 — Endangered Species Act consultations through NMFS takes time, but the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is tired of waiting.

Council Chair Archie Soliai reiterated concerns about NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office delays in completing ESA consultations for the region’s longline and bottomfish fisheries when the Council met last week.

“Our experience with ESA consultations over the last several years have left us with the impression that our Council process is not respected,” Soliai said in a press release. “The Council is here to ensure the sustainability of our region’s fishery resources as mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens Act. We ask PIRO to provide us with realistic timelines and meaningful dialogue, so we may work together to complete these biological opinions and ensure that our fisheries can continue to operate in compliance with ESA.”

The Council said it will convey its concerns to Janet Coit, assistant administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), requesting assistance so biological opinions are completed in coordination with the Council.

Read the full story at Seafood News

WPRFMC Asks for Remedies to Long-Standing Issues in Western Pacific Region

March 25, 2022 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

At the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council meeting today, Chair Archie Soliai reiterated concerns about NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) delays in completing Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultations for the region’s longline and bottomfish fisheries.

“Our experience with ESA consultations over the last several years have left us with the impression that our Council process is not respected,” emphasized Soliai. “The Council is here to ensure the sustainability of our region’s fishery resources as mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens Act.” Soliai added, “We ask PIRO to provide us with realistic timelines and meaningful dialogue, so we may work together to complete these biological opinions and ensure that our fisheries can continue to operate in compliance with ESA.”

The Council will convey its concerns to Janet Coit, assistant administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), requesting assistance so biological opinions are completed in coordination with the Council.

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The Council believes the existing Mariana Trench Marine National Monument (MTMNM) management plan should be implemented ahead of any national marine sanctuary nomination in the Marianas, as it may provide protections the nomination seeks. The MTMNM boundaries, including the omission of the water column, already reflects the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana (CNMI) government’s management needs.

Council comments in February to NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) on the 5-year nomination review, explained the MTMNM greatly reduced the need for sanctuary protection. Concerns in the proposed sanctuary, such as fishing regulations, are already addressed through the MTMNM management plan and Magnuson-Stevens Act. Foreign fishing is prohibited.

“ONMS needs to be clear about what is proposed,” said Michael Tenorio, CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife fisheries supervisor. “The nomination seems to allude to closing fishing to the community and it’s causing confusion.”

The Council asked NOAA to remove the proposed sanctuary from the national inventory and assist Friends of the Mariana Trench Monument with developing a revised proposal vetted through the CNMI and Guam communities. This would create a stronger proposal with broad community support, one of the 11 evaluation criteria for inclusion on the inventory list. The CNMI Governor Ralph DLG Torres and other community members have expressed strong opposition to the proposed marine sanctuary plan.

The public comment period has been extended to April 25, and comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov/document/NOAA-NOS-2022-0005-0034.

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Equity and environmental justice (EEJ) is a priority for the Council, and influences all programs, approaches and actions. The Council raised EEJ-related issues and opportunities throughout the meeting this week.

“I think this is very important and am glad it’s finally coming to fruition after 30 years,” said Monique Amani, Council member from Guam, referencing when the EJ social movement began. “I fully support this initiative – we’re part of the United States, but the services and investments to our communities aren’t always the same for the territories,” she added.

The Council approved a draft Western Pacific EEJ approach and will develop a regional strategy to direct future work. Together with the Council’s new Pacific strategy to advocate for equitable fisheries in the region, our fishing communities will be better positioned to benefit across global, regional and national landscapes.

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The Council recommended NMFS clarify a 2015 notice of proposed rule-making that would acknowledge an American Samoa purse seine fleet, distinct from a U.S. fleet. A proposed rule is expected in April 2022.

American Samoa does not have direct access to the high seas and most purse seine fishing effort occurs within waters of small island states and tropical waters north of the territory. However, American Samoa is home to a tuna cannery that is the territory’s most important private employer.

In 2015, Tri Marine purse seine vessels petitioned the United States to remove high seas fishing limits for vessels that offload at least 50% of their catch in American Samoa, citing Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) fishing restrictions that impede their ability to support the territory’s economy. NMFS denied the petition in October 2015, but stated it could reconsider taking action if there was evidence that WCPFC restrictions have a negative impact on the territory’s economy.

“Seven years have passed and American Samoa’s dire situation is self-evident with the exodus of U.S. vessels and the need to supply our cannery,” said Council Chair Archie Soliai. PIRO Regional Administrator Michael Tosatto was unable to provide specifics on proposed regulations.

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The Council appointed the following officers for 2022: Archie Soliai, chair; Will Sword, American Samoa vice chair; John Gourley, CNMI vice chair; Manny Duenas, Guam vice chair; and Roger Dang, Hawai‘i vice chair.

 

Hawaii Longline Fishing Recovering from COVID-19

March 23, 2022 — Hawaii’s longline fishery became more active in 2021 as the state began its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the increase didn’t necessarily lead to more fish caught.

Commercial fish catch in Hawaii plummeted in 2020 as the coronavirus forced the closure of hotels, restaurants and other businesses, and along with them the demand for fish.

But Hawaii’s economy has been slowly returning to form, and in 2021 the state’s 146 longline fishing vessels made 1,734 fishing trips, up from the 1,679 in 2020.

Additionally, the vessels set out 63.5 million hooks during their fishing trips — a record number for the industry, said Russell Ito, a fishery biologist for the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.

Ito on Wednesday presented an annual report on Hawaii’s longline fishery to the Scientific and Statistical Committee, an advisory body to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

Read the full story at Seafood News

WPRFMC Scientists Discuss Next Generation Data Collection, New Strategy to Advocate for Fisheries

March 21, 2022 — Fisheries data collection in remote areas, particularly islands spread hundreds of miles apart, is challenging. Scientists from Hawaii and those informing the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council are looking for answers.

The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Director Michael Seki presented the NOAA Next Generation Data Acquisition Plan (NG-DAP) to the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee this week. The Plan will guide data acquisition for the next 10 to 15 years. The fisheries and technologies to gather data have evolved and regional data needs have changed since the last plan was released in 1998, the Council said. The NG-DAP will use innovative technologies, modern fishery information collection systems, artificial and machine learning and advanced modeling tools to account for climate change, emerging ocean uses and ecosystem-based fisheries management.

While the NG-DAP is a nationwide effort, the plan will point out regional needs and highlight opportunities for potential partners and collaborators. NOAA plans to hold public workshops later this spring to gather input from stakeholders. The SSC noted that meetings should include fishing communities in the territories.

The Western Pacific Region is still challenged by data limitations due to little federal investment in collecting basic fishery-dependent data and life history information for the benefit of local underserved communities. The Council and SSC have, over the years, continuously identified research needs to the National Marine Fisheries Service, focusing on island and pelagic fisheries, ecosystems, protected species and human communities in order to sustainably manage fisheries in the region.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Hawaii’s longline community scrambles to outfish false killer whales

March 16, 2022 — Those at the forefront of managing Hawaii’s deep-sea fishing industry are meeting this week in hopes of figuring out how to deal with their catch being seized off their lines.

It’s one of the issues facing the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, which oversees Hawaii’s longline vessels that bring in the ahi supply for the state and parts of the U.S. mainland.

Over the last several years, the council says its seen more cases of false killer whales, actually a species of dolphin, snatching fish right off a hook.

In years’ past, they’ve run into similar issues with seabirds and turtles, but gear has since been adapted.

Read the full story at Hawaii News Now

Western Pacific Council Recommends New Approach for Pacific International Discussions

December 16, 2021 — Recent international Pacific tuna talks were deemed “unfavorable” for U.S. interests, according to fishery managers in Hawaii.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council had hoped to convince the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission to almost double the Hawai‘i longline fishery bigeye tuna catch limits. The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee supported it and the Council had worked on the increase for the past six years.

The U.S. delegation also asked the Commission to reduce the total catch on South Pacific albacore, with a goal of increasing albacore catch rates for fisheries such as American Samoa.

But the Commission disagreed. It disagreed with all of the U.S.-recommended changes.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Fishing council votes to replace seabird mitigation strategy for Hawaii deep-set longline fishery

December 9, 2021 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has voted to recommend a replacement strategy to mitigate seabird interactions by Hawaii deep-set longline fishing vessels.

In a 12-0 vote, with one abstention, the 13-member council voted today to recommend fishing vessels use fishing pole-like setups called tori lines, which are meant to keep seabirds from interacting with the vessels’ gear and bait.

Interactions between fishing vessels in the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery and black-footed and Laysan albatrosses have been on the rise since 2015. Recent studies by researchers have shown that the current mitigation measures — primarily the use of blue-dyed bait and the strategic disposal of fish parts, or offal — have shown mixed effectiveness at deterring the albatrosses.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser

US Request For More Bigeye Tuna Denied By Pacific Commission

December 9, 2021 — A drive to increase Hawaii longliners’ bigeye tuna quota has again fallen short at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.

The U.S. delegation to the WCPFC requested that its longline bigeye quota be increased by 3,000 metric tons, noting stocks appeared to not be overfished and were not unhealthy, so could withstand an increase in fishing levels.

The proposed increase to the bigeye quota was made during the WCPFC’s 18th annual session, which ended on Tuesday, but the agreement failed to get across the line. Instead, the commission opted to keep the status quo for the next two years.

WCPFC’s negotiations dictate fishing throughout the Pacific, which is home to some of the most valuable global fishing stocks. The commission’s members represent 26 economies, ranging from Japan and China to Fiji and Indonesia.

The Hawaii-based Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has supported raising U.S. catch limits for at least six years and was disappointed by the result, according to its executive director Kitty Simonds.

Read the full story at Honolulu Civil Beat

More Bigeye for Pacific Longliners? Scientists Say Yes, Along with Increased Monitoring

December 7, 2021 — U.S. fishery managers propose increasing its Pacific bigeye tuna annual catch limit and gets the Western Pacific Fishery management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee’s blessing.

The SSC discussed issues related to bigeye tuna management last week at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting and 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. That endorsement includes an increase in minimum observer coverage for Western and Central Pacific 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 Council said in a press release.

Read the full story at Seafood News