Saving Seafood

Fishery Council Celebrates 200th Meeting Milestone

September 20, 2024 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council: 

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is set to hold its 200th meeting next week, a significant milestone in its 48-year history. The meeting will take place September 23-25, 2024, at the Ala Moana Hotel Hibiscus Ballroom.

The meeting will feature insights from the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS):

  • Rear Admiral Sean Regan, 14th Coast Guard District, Department of Homeland Security
  • Sam Rauch, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, NMFS/NOAA, Department of Commerce

On Monday, RADM Regan and staff will present the Coast Guard’s Pacific Blue Mission and other issues central to maintaining security and sustainability in the U.S. Pacific region. On Tuesday, Eric Kingma, Executive Director of the Hawaii Longline Association, will present a check to NMFS, aimed at supporting fisheries development in the U.S. Pacific Territories— investing in capacity building in our region. Sam Rauch will share updates on national and international fisheries priorities, and the successes of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to sustainably manage fisheries. No fish stocks are overfished in the Western Pacific Region, except striped marlin due to international fishing pressure, and very few others on the U.S. continent and the Caribbean.

Council Chair Will Sword said, “I’m proud of the Council’s accomplishments throughout the years, achieving many of our conservation goals through sustainable management of the region’s large and small fisheries. We have met the challenges of mitigating protected species interactions, growing capacity in our communities and supporting the continuation of cultural values and management through the melding of Western and indigenous methods. We face many challenges, particularly the changing of the world’s climate, which will be devastating to our islands, and we will confront them with the support of our extensive array of advisors and our government.”

Action Items

The Council will make decisions affecting the future of regional fisheries, including specifying catch limits for bottomfish stocks in the main Hawaiian Islands and Guam, and striped marlin in the Western and Central North Pacific. These discussions will consider scientific data, stock status, economic and ecological impacts, as well as input from advisory bodies, when making decisions and recommendations.

Global Seafood Trade and Policy Discussions

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of ongoing discussions about the seafood trade, labeling and foreign competition, including hearing updates from Council meetings with the Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, World Wildlife Fund and the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Council members and industry advisors met with several federal agencies and a non-governmental organization to discuss strategies to address unfair foreign practices affecting Pacific tuna fisheries. Participants addressed the importance of the United States enforcing seafood regulations, such as Marine Mammal Protection Act import provisions, as well as the need for clear product origin labeling to better inform consumers.

Join us in celebrating 48 years of progress either in-person or online via Webex (https://tinyurl.com/200CouncilMtg). The complete agenda and meeting documents are available at www.wpcouncil.org/event/200th-council-meeting. Opportunities to make public comments on agenda items are provided throughout the meetin

SSC Advances Guam Bottomfish Rebuilding Plan and Evaluates Seabird Bycatch Mitigation Techniques

September 16, 2024 — The following was released by Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

At its meeting this week, the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) reviewed and discussed options for modifying Guam’s bottomfish rebuilding plan, focusing on balancing sustainable fishing opportunities with stock recovery goals. 

In 2019, the Guam bottomfish fishery was declared overfished, which requires the Council to rebuild the Guam bottomfish stock, per the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The Council developed a rebuilding plan that set an annual catch limit (ACL) of 31,000 pounds, with in-season monitoring that would close the fishery if the limit is exceeded. A stock assessment update presented in June 2024 found that while the Guam bottomfish fishery is not overfished, it has not met the rebuilding threshold.

After evaluating catch projections and accountability measures, the SSC recommended an option which sets ACL of 34,500 pounds, allowing for continued fishing while ensuring the stock is rebuilt by 2031. The SSC noted all ACL options (0; 31,000; or 34,500 pounds) would achieve the rebuilding plan, but the 34,500-pound ACL maximizes fishing opportunities.

“These fisheries are about catching food; we should fulfill the legal requirements while still maximizing catch,” said SSC member Ray Hilborn, University of Washington.

Regarding accountability measures, the SSC did not recommend in-season monitoring because of delays for the creel surveys and catch expansions. SSC member Frank Camacho, University of Guam, said “the juice is not worth the squeeze,” regarding the feasibility of relying on creel surveys.

The SSC recommended a post-season overage adjustment based on a three-year rolling average, preventing overfishing while avoiding premature fishery closures. The SSC also addressed concerns about potential negative impacts of a federal fishing moratorium. This action could drive fishers out of the industry permanently. The SSC highlighted the importance of local management.

The SSC endorsed the results from a July 2024 Guam bottomfish data review panel, and recommends the data be used in the next benchmark stock assessment. This was the first ever review on the data that will go into the stock assessment, incorporating fishermen’s perspectives on the data. The Pacific Islands Fishery Science Center presented the next steps, which are to include fishery-independent survey data and additional life history information in the next stock assessment, expected by 2027. The SSC underscored the need for more detailed data to differentiate inshore and offshore fishing, noting possible shifts in species targeted over time. 

Hawai‘i Longline Seabird Mitigation Measure Experiment

The SSC reviewed the results of a seabird bycatch mitigation study that indicated albatrosses were significantly more likely to interact with Hawai‘i shallow-set longline gear on paired tori (bird scaring) lines deployed partially during the day compared to night sets with blue-dyed bait. 

In 2021, the Council recommended a pilot study be conducted to develop appropriate seabird mitigation measures for the Hawai‘i-based shallow-set fishery that targets swordfish. The goal was to find a combination of mitigation measures that would be as effective at deterring seabirds during dusk as the current suite of night-setting strategies. 

The SSC recommended the lightweight short-streamer tori line, as used in the experiment, not be included as an approved mitigation measure for the Hawai‘i shallow-set longline fishery. This design was shown to be effective in the deep-set fishery, and is now part of its suite of required measures. However, the shallow-set fishery operates in areas with windier conditions and higher seabird encounter rates, likely making the design less effective. 

Since 2004, the Hawai‘i shallow-set longline fishery has been required to set their gear at night and use blue-dyed fish bait. Prior to this, fishermen adjusted their setting time around the sunset hours according to the moon phase, which affects swordfish vertical migration patterns. Following the successful trials conducted in the Hawai‘i deep-set fishery, shallow-set fishermen expressed interest in testing tori lines as a potential mitigation tool, aiming to increase operational flexibility by allowing gear setting to begin during sunset hours. 

The SSC endorsed the next steps from the project report and recommended the Council consider additional experiments for alternative seabird measures for this fishery. These experiments may include evaluating the effectiveness of night setting with and without blue-dyed bait to determine if it may be removed from the mitigation measures, or testing hook-shielding devices to enable partial daytime setting.

 

Scientific and Statistical Committee: James Lynch (chair); Jason Biggs (Guam Div. of Aquatic & Wildlife Resources); Debra Cabrera (University of Guam); Frank Camacho (University of Guam); Milani Chaloupka (University of Queensland); Erik Franklin (University of Hawai‘i, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology); Shelton Harley (Fisheries Consultant); Jason Helyer (Hawai‘i Div. of Aquatic Resources); Ray Hilborn (University of Washington); Justin Hospital (National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, NMFS PIFSC); Dave Itano (Fisheries Consultant); Donald Kobayashi (NMFS PIFSC); Steve Martell (Sea State Inc.); Domingo Ochavillo (American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources); Graham Pilling (The Pacific Community); Craig Severance (University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, retired); Charles Littnan (ex-officio) (NMFS PIFSC).

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council: Secretary of Commerce appointees from nominees selected by American Samoa, the CNMI, Guam and Hawai‘i governors: Will Sword, noncommercial fisherman/engineer (American Samoa) (chair); Roger Dang, Fresh Island Fish Co. (Hawai‘i) (vice chair); Judith Guthertz, University of Guam (Guam) (vice chair); Pete Itibus, noncommercial fisher (CNMI); Shaelene Kamaka‘ala, Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (Hawai‘i); Frank Perez, AC Sales and Service, (Guam); Matt Ramsey, Conservation International (Hawai‘i); and Gene Weaver, Tasi to Table (CNMI). Designated state officials: Dawn Chang, Hawai‘i Dept. of Land & Natural Resources; Sylvan Igisomar, CNMI Dept. of Lands & Natural Resources (vice chair); Chelsa Muña, Guam Dept. of Agriculture; and Archie Soliai, American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources (vice chair). Designated federal officials (voting): Sarah Malloy, NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office. Designated federal officials (nonvoting): Colin Brinkman, U.S. State Dept.; Brian Peck, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; and RADM Sean Regan, U.S. Coast Guard 14th District.

WestPac’s statistics council addresses issues affecting Pacific fisheries management

September 10, 2024 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) is set to convene this week, Sept. 11-13, 2024, to address issues impacting fisheries management in the Pacific Islands.

Specifically of interest to American Samoa is the Annual Research Prioritization where the SSC will identify priorities for 2025 from the adopted 2025-2029 Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act research priorities. The list may be ranked in order of importance to inform regional National Marine Fisheries Service research activities for next year.

And, in light of recent stock assessment projections, the SSC will review potential rebuilding scenarios for striped marlin to inform the U.S. delegation at the upcoming Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting. The aim is to meet WCPFC targets of rebuilding the stock to 20% of unfished biomass by 2034.

Read the full article at Samoa News

SSC Meeting to Tackle Key Fisheries Management Issues Next Week

September 6, 2024 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will convene Sept. 11-13, 2024, to address important issues impacting fisheries management in the Pacific Islands.

Noncommercial Fisheries Data Updates: The SSC will evaluate improvements to the Hawai‘i Marine Recreational Fishing Survey and review its potential use in stock assessments, annual catch limits and monitoring efforts. Presentations will cover the latest data improvements, feedback from a recent fishermen’s workshop and the potential to use the data in annual reports.

Guam Bottomfish Rebuilding Plan: A new stock assessment update presented in June 2024 found that while the Guam bottomfish fishery is not overfished, it has not met rebuilding criteria. The SSC may provide recommendations on modifications to the rebuilding plan and review projections to rebuild the stock by 2031, in alignment with the Mariana Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan.

Guam Bottomfish Data for Future Assessments: The SSC will consider the Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review report on Guam bottomfish data and discuss how this data may be used in future stock assessments, including single-species and multi-model assessments.

Hawai‘i Shallow-Set Longline Fishery Tori Line Experiment: The SSC will review results from an experimental fishing project that tested tori (bird scaring) lines as a seabird bycatch mitigation measure. This pilot study was designed to explore an alternative combination of seabird mitigation techniques that could allow for more flexible fishing hours during dusk compared to the current night-setting requirements.

False Killer Whale Interaction Analysis: The SSC will review an analysis of foreign fleet impacts on false killer whale populations and may provide advice on managing interactions in Hawai‘i’s deep-set longline fishery.

Striped Marlin Rebuilding Plan: In light of recent stock assessment projections, the SSC will review potential rebuilding scenarios for striped marlin to inform the U.S. delegation at the upcoming Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting. The aim is to meet WCPFC targets of rebuilding the stock to 20% of unfished biomass by 2034.

Annual Research Prioritization: The SSC will identify priorities for 2025 from the adopted 2025-2029 Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act research priorities. The list may be ranked in order of importance to inform regional National Marine Fisheries Service research activities for next year.

The SSC meeting is open to in-person or remote participation via web conference for attendees. The full agenda, background documents and instructions for connecting to the meeting and providing public comments are available at www.wpcouncil.org/event/153ssc-meeting.

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council calls out foreign tuna dumping

July 1, 2024 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council expressed concern over foreign tuna dumping in its latest meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, warning that foreign competition is harming both producers and consumers.

“If our fishermen can’t compete, fish, sustain a profit, and provide protein for our communities, not only do we lose food security in American Samoa, but our economy dies,” Council Chair Taulapapa William Sword said.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Fishery management council: Lack of consultation shows ‘disrespect’

July 1, 2024 — Members of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council are dismayed over the continued lack of federal government consultation with U.S. territories on the Endangered Species Act, including matters involving green sea turtles, giant clams and oceanic whitetip sharks, the council said in a press release.

“The lack of consultation with the governors of the U.S. territories for federal initiatives shows disrespect – the governors are our leaders, and we look to them for guidance,” Guam Council member Judith Guthertz stated in the release.

She expressed frustration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service not responding to October 2023 letters from U.S. Pacific territorial governors, which requested an extension to the comment period for a proposed designation of green sea turtle critical habitat, the council said in the release.

Read the full article at The Guam Daily Post

Federal Consultation with Governors of US Territories Lacking

June 27, 2024 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council members expressed dismay with the continued problem of the lack of federal government consultation with territorial governments on Endangered Species Act (ESA) issues, including green sea turtles, giant clams and oceanic whitetip sharks. 

“The lack of consultation with the governors of the U.S. territories for federal initiatives shows disrespect—the Governors are our leaders and we look to them for guidance.” Guam Council member Judith Guthertz, former president of the University of Guam, expressed frustration with NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) not responding to the October 2023 letters from the U.S. Pacific Territorial Governors. These letters requested an extension of the comment period on the proposed designation of green sea turtle critical habitat. Affected communities need additional time to review the 800 pages of proposed rules and accompanying documentation.

Guthertz continued, “I teach values, governance and public administration at the University of Guam, but it is becoming harder for me to make the case to my students that we are valued by the U.S. government.”

The Council requested NOAA and USFWS to work with American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) governments to review the information underlying the proposed green sea turtle critical habitat designation before publishing the final rule.

With the lack of communication on the pending response to the giant clam ESA listing petition, Chelsea Muña, Guam Department of Agriculture director, said “[the rule] isn’t going to affect other countries, it affects us.” The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) received a petition in 2016 to list 10 species of giant clams under the ESA, and announced in 2017 that seven of the 10 would undergo a full status review to determine if a listing was warranted. The findings are expected to be published in the coming weeks, but have not been communicated to the territorial agencies.

Pacific Islands communities, including U.S. island areas of American Samoa, Guam and the CNMI, have long-standing traditions of utilizing giant clams. Muña described giant clam aquaculture programs in Guam, which are set up as community-based management that helps empower the community to take responsibility and ownership. The Council requested NMFS to coordinate with the American Samoa, Guam and CNMI governments to review the information used in the giant clam status review before publishing the ESA-listing petition 12-month finding.

The Council also urged NMFS to hold public hearings and extend the public comment period on a proposed rule published in May 2024 to prohibit “take” of threatened oceanic whitetip shark, with limited exceptions for research and enforcement activities. The public comment period closes July 15, 2024. Take under the ESA is defined as “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or attempt to engage in any such conduct,” and includes accidental hookings or entanglements in commercial or recreational fisheries.

The Council discussed hardships in sustaining American Samoa’s tuna economy. Restrictions on using imported frozen cooked tuna loins for duty-free canned tuna production is a disproportionate burden on the purse seiners homeported in Pago Pago. To alleviate this, the Council is seeking increased tariffs on imported tuna products, allowing American Samoa duty-free access to the U.S. market for locally produced canned tuna, closing tariff loopholes and developing funding programs to boost local fish catches. In 2022, purse seine and longline vessels landed 170 million pounds at the port of Pago Pago worth $108 million that supports the local economy.

Annual SAFE Report for Open Ocean Fisheries
Council members heard a detailed update on the 2023 performance of pelagic federal fisheries in the U.S. Pacific Islands from the Council’s annual Stock Assessment and Fisheries Evaluation (SAFE) report. In the Hawai‘i longline fishery and other open ocean fisheries across the region, yellowfin tuna landings increased significantly, while other tuna species like albacore, skipjack and bigeye showed mixed trends.

The Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery that targets tuna caught 25.7 million pounds, with a total ex-vessel revenue of $100.5 million, while the shallow-set longline fishery that targets swordfish caught 1.6 million pounds, resulting in $6.8 million.

Electronic Monitoring in Hawai‘i Longline Fisheries
Last September, the Council endorsed the development of an electronic monitoring (EM) pre-implementation plan aiming to enhance the sustainability and oversight of Hawai‘i longline fisheries. The primary objective of this EM program is to monitor protected species.

At the meeting, the Council recommended further exploration of regulatory considerations to utilize EM to complement or fulfill data collection requirements as currently implemented by federal observers. This includes conducting a cost/benefit analysis, reviewing existing observer and logbook programs, and evaluating the relationship between EM and human observer coverage. With annual costs of at least $2.4 million, $15 million is needed to begin the program.

The next Council meeting will be in September 2024. Check the Council website for updates.

Council Reviews Annual Fishery Reports: Trends, Challenges and Future Plans in the Western Pacific

June 26, 2024 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Council members reviewed detailed reports on the 2023 performance of federally managed fisheries in the Western Pacific region. This annual Stock Assessment and Fisheries Evaluation (SAFE) report consistently observed catch increases across a range of open ocean and bottomfish species, continued high fuel prices, shark depredation and increased sea surface temperature across the U.S. Pacific Islands.

This report is developed by the Council’s archipelagic and pelagic plan teams, comprised of federal, territorial, state and Council scientists.

Highlights from the region include:

  • Hawai‘i: Commercial landings for bottomfish were up at 242,170 pounds. None of the bottomfish are overfished or experiencing overfishing. There were 576 bottomfish license holders, 37 less than in 2022.
  • American Samoa: Albacore tuna catch was 1.9 million pounds from 10 boats in the longline fishery, down from 2.37 million pounds from 11 boats in 2022.
  • Guam: Total bottomfish catch for the 13-species complex was below the annual limit set at 31,000 pounds. A recent stock assessment indicates the complex is no longer considered overfished.
  • CNMI: The 2023 report of fishermen’s catch reports and commercial dealer invoices is in review.

For the 2024 annual SAFE report, key fishery and market indicators will be included, such as impacts from military activities, weather conditions, and funding and staffing issues, as well as fishery-independent data in Guam and Hawai‘i. Council advisors are working on ways to improve data collection. The Annual SAFE Report data for 2023 will soon be available at wpcouncildata.org.

For fishing years 2024-2027 for the Hawaiian Islands deep-seven bottomfish complex, the Council recommended the annual catch limit (ACL) to be 493,000 pounds. This ACL results in a 39% risk of overfishing. The fishery is healthy and total catch in recent years has been around 200,000 pounds. With this increase in quota, fishers are able to operate year-round without fear of the fishery closing. Accountability measures include in-season monitoring and a single year post-season overage adjustment. License holders are required to report their bottomfish catch within five days of their fishing trip. 

On Hawai‘i’s bottomfish ACL, Council member from Guam Manny Dueñas commented, “It’s the honest to God truth – the fisheries are healthy! More people should go fishing!”

In 2023, 359 deep-seven bottomfish license holders each caught an average of 550 pounds, totaling about 200,000 pounds. With the remaining ACL, this means that potentially up to 530 more people could enter the fishery.

Part of the mission of NOAA’s National Seafood Strategy supports productive and sustainable fisheries. NOAA should assist young people to go fishing in our region.

Council Tackles Trade Barriers to US Tuna Fisheries at Meeting

June 26, 2024 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

This week, members of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council called attention to impediments to U.S. fisheries due to unfair trade practices by foreign fisheries. “Dumping” of cheaper, lower-quality fishery products into the United States undercuts the profitability of U.S. fisheries. These foreign fisheries are often heavily subsidized by other nations, including for operational costs, labor, fuel and ship building.

 The Council recommended convening a group of experts, inviting federal agencies and the fishing industry, to address these regional unfair trade issues. Regarding U.S. labeling regulations, the members requested the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, NOAA, State of Hawai‘i, Territories of Guam and American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) agencies to enforce Country of Origin Labeling and other local requirements.

 Council Chair Taulapapa William Sword supported the need to address trade and labeling regulations, citing the precarious situation in American Samoa. “If our fishermen can’t compete, fish, sustain a profit, and provide protein for our communities, not only do we lose food security in American Samoa, our economy dies,” Sword said. Guam Council member Manny Dueñas praised the National Seafood Strategy but warned, “If we continue to let monuments and sanctuaries drive management, developing the Strategy is an exercise in futility.” 

 In addition to trade issues, the Council heard updates from the U.S. Coast Guard regarding high seas boarding and inspection (HSBI). This program monitors compliance of Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) regulations. Members expressed concern over recent reports of HSBI boardings by China, including Chinese Coast Guard vessels intimidating Philippine fishing vessels. In order to increase the efficacy of HSBI and promote safety at sea, the Council recommended the U.S. government continue its efforts to elevate the WCPFC Resolution on Labor Standards as binding, to allow HSBI parties power to enforce human rights at sea.

 Regarding green sea turtles, Council members from the U.S. Pacific Territories urged the federal government to consider the cultural uses of these sea creatures. For more than 4,000 years, the CHamoru and Refaluwasch people have used green sea turtles for medicinal, subsistence and cultural practices. However, the Endangered Species Act and the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles (IAC) create barriers, despite a narrow subsistence exemption in the IAC.

The Council territory members recommended utilizing nurseries and involving community members to find innovative ways to recover the green sea turtle population. “The communities have a vested interest in raising healthy turtles if they are part of the solution,” said Muña, pointing to successful examples of involving farmers to raise the endangered Ko’ko birds (Guam rail). 

 The Council requested NOAA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide information on existing programs for green sea turtle nursery and rehabilitation to explore the potential for recovering the species. 

 Sanctuaries in the Pacific

In an “Island Voices” column published in the Honolulu Star Advertiser June 20, 2024, Council member Taotasi Archie Soliai, American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, pointed out inaccuracies about the territory’s economy that were used to support closing U.S. waters in the central equatorial Pacific to commercial fishing. Contrary to claims published April 28, 2024, titled “American Samoa deserves to thrive as fishing shifts,” American Samoa’s economy relies heavily on the tuna fishing and processing industry, with StarKist Samoa providing significant employment and economic stability.

 At the Council meeting, Soliai said, “The Council’s spring newsletter included a commentary on the current situation of the Biden Adminstration’s proposed sanctuaries called ‘Justice? Or Just Us?’ The Administration continues to promote equity, but fails to extend the same considerations to its Pacific Territories. The United States can’t talk about promoting domestic industries, fishing, marketing, exporting, importing and food security but fail to act on its Strategy in the Pacific.”

Equitable Fishing Access and Sustainable Practices to be Addressed at Upcoming Council Meeting in Honolulu

June 21, 2024 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

As the U.S. exclusive economic zone available to fishing continues to shrink due to federal regulations, foreign fishing presence increases and Pacific Islands bear the brunt of American conservation efforts, justice has seemingly turned into “just us.” Ninety percent of the Biden Administration’s mandate to conserve 30% of the ocean by 2030 is supported by closures in the U.S. Pacific.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will address equitable access, fair treatment of fishing communities and preservation of sustainable fishing at its meeting June 24-26, 2024, in Honolulu.

 The Council will receive updates on the proposed national marine sanctuaries in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) and the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA). NOAA held public hearings on the NWHI sanctuary draft Environmental Impact Statement throughout the State of Hawai‘i in April. Council representatives attended to answer questions on its recommendations for fishing regulations, and submitted written comments to NOAA in May. For the PRIA sanctuary, after a flurry of activity at the end of 2023, including the Council’s recommendation that no additional fishing regulations were needed, there has not been much movement beyond potential renaming.

 The Council will also discuss seafood trade and strategies to level the playing field between foreign and domestic fisheries in the marketplace. Earlier this week, Council staff, the Hawaii Longline Association and Hawai‘i market representatives met with the NOAA International Affairs, Trade and Commerce Division and also with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. These meetings were to strategize ways to improve seafood import monitoring and reduce the flow of foreign products undercutting U.S. fishery products, specifically for tuna, into local and nationwide markets. Pacific Island tuna fishery representatives are concerned with heavily subsidized foreign fisheries ‘dumping’ cheaper products into the U.S. market.

 Action Items

The Council will consider annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures for the main Hawaiian Islands deep-seven bottomfish complex for 2024-2027. Members will take into account reports on the uncertainties and risk of overfishing, and advice from its Scientific and Statistical Committee. The fishery is neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing, with 2023 landings reaching less than half of the current ACL of 492,000 pounds. 

The Council will also review and comment on the American Samoa Marine Conservation Plan (MCP) for implementation in August 2024. Key updates include developing a tuna policy to address declining albacore catch rates and restrictive federal regulations impacting U.S.-flagged vessels. The MCP also proposes creating a fishermen registry to track fishing efforts and assist with economic or disaster relief. According to the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Council must validate that the projects are consistent with its Fishery Ecosystem Plans and will not affect the sustainability of fisheries in the area.

Other Agenda Items

The Council will also discuss how fisheries in the Western Pacific region performed in 2023 relative to previous years. The Annual Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Reports will be presented to the Council with highlights of catch and effort trends, economic indicators and climate considerations. For example, despite decreases in commercial licenses and trips, the Hawai‘i bottomfish fishery had its highest catch since 2018. In American Samoa, longline sets continued a decreasing trend to an all-time low, but had an increase in trolling.

Fishers Forum

As part of its 199th meeting, the Council will host a free, family friendly Fishers Forum June 24, 2024, from 6 to 9 p.m. with the theme “Where are the fish going?” Attendees will learn how climate change is affecting the ocean and fish populations across the Pacific and closer to Hawai‘i, and what that means for fishermen. Fishing community leaders like Roy Morioka and Carl Jellings will share important observations on weather, seas, markets and operations.

The Council meeting and Fishers Forum will be held at the Ala Moana Hotel, Hibiscus Ballroom, 410 Atkinson Drive in Honolulu. For more information, visit www.wpcouncil.org/event/199th-council-meeting. Remote participation for the Council meeting is available via Webex at https://tinyurl.com/199CouncilMtg.