June 29, 2020 — More than a decade after being established, two marine monuments in the Pacific Islands region may get detailed management plans soon. Maybe.
The plans were supposed to be developed within two years of the 2009 establishment of the monuments.
June 26, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Councilconcluded its three-day virtual meeting today on the management of federal fisheries in waters offshore of the State of Hawai’i, the Territories of American Samoa and Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the US Pacific Remote Islands Areas. Established in 1976 under purview of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the Council monitors federal fisheries operating in these waters and develops management plans and amendments for them. Discussions and recommendations at today’s Council meeting focused on protected species interactions and the international nature of the region’s pelagic fisheries.
While the MSA is the nation’s preeminent fisheries legislation, the region’s fisheries are often managed to meet other legislation, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Under the ESA, NMFS develops a biological opinion (BiOp) to evaluate whether a federally managed fishery jeopardizes the continued existence of species listed as threatened or endangered. If the fishery is likely to jeopardize species, NMFS must implement reasonable and prudent alternatives (RPAs) to avoid jeopardizing the species. If the fishery is not likely to jeopardize species, NMFS must implement reasonable and prudent measures (RPMs) to minimize impacts of any incidental take by the fishery. Currently, NMFS is developing BiOps and considering RPMs or RPAs for the Hawai’i deep-set longline fishery, which targets bigeye tuna, and for the American Samoa longline fishery, which targets South Pacific albacore tuna. Of particular concern is the Hawai’i fleet’s interaction with leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles. These RPMs in the past have required the shallow-set longline fishery to close after interacting with 16 leatherback turtles, even if they were released alive.
The Council also recommended that drafting of the RPMs place priority on improving handling and release methods to improve post-hooking survival rates and on creating industry-led incentives to report and reduce impacts.
During public comment, Eric Kingma, Hawaii Longline Association executive director, noted that the Hawaii fleet is only 4% of longline effort in the WCPO. “While we don’t have significant impact on the protected species populations, we can help by designing innovative measures and transferring them to the international fisheries,” he said.
Among other related recommendations, the Council will ask the Seafood Trade Task Force, created by Executive Order 13921, to evaluate all impacts of foreign-sourced fishery products on domestic fisheries and markets. The evaluation should focus on foreign-forced products into Hawai’i and Guam with known seafood safety concerns, such as carbon-monoxide gassed tuna including the potential suspension of such products during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Council also requested that the director of the NMFS Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection provide a status update on the certification of foreign fisheries that meet the MMPA equivalency provisions. Measures implemented under the MMPA have had an impact on the Hawai’i deep-set longline fishery, which has been unable to operate within a 132,000 square mile area (called the Southern Exclusion Zone) within the US exclusive economic zone around Hawai’i, after its interaction with two false killer whales that NMFS characterized as being at a level to create mortality and serious injury.
The Council recommended that the 2021 catch limits for longline bigeye be set at 2,000 mt each for American Samoa, Guam and the CNMI and that each Territory be allowed to allocate up to1,500 mt to US longline fisheries permitted under the Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan, pursuant to Amendment 7 of that plan. However, the collective total allocation among the three Territories is not to exceed 3,000 mt.
The meeting agenda and briefing documents can be found at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars.
June 26, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
During the months of May through July, Hawai’i fishermen and seafood consumers can rely on uku (grey snapper). While available year-round, this flavorful pink to white flesh fish, is most abundant during this time, which is when it spawns. These months also coincide with the period between the peak of the winter season for deep-water snappers and before the summer run of ‘ahi (yellowfin tuna). A versatile species, uku can be found in a wide range of depths and can be caught by trolling, bottomfishing and even spearfishing.
Yesterday, during the second day of its three-day virtual meeting, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council reviewed a new stock assessment for the main Hawaiian Island uku prepared by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Established by Congress in 1976, the Council develops management plans and amendments and monitors 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 (CNMI) and the US Pacific Remote Islands Areas.
The Council directed staff to assess the scientific and management uncertainties in the fishery so that it could recommend the annual catch limit (ACL) for the fishery, when it meets next, in September. The Council will also explore splitting allocation of the ACL between the noncommercial and commercial fishing sectors. The Council’s recommendation will then go to the Secretary of Commerce for final approval.
Another major topic on the agenda yesterday was development of a rebuilding plan for American Samoa bottomfish. The most recent NMFS stock assessment for the fishery indicates that the fishery is overfished (too many fish have been removed) and subject to overfishing (too much fishing effort is occurring). Fishermen and the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR) believe that the pessimistic assessment is due to poor and incomplete data.
Bottomfish habitat maps suggest that the majority of the bottomfish are caught in waters 0 to 3 miles from shore, which are under the Territory’s jurisdiction. The proposed interim measure would allow only 13,000 pounds of bottomfish to be caught annually from both federal and territorial waters, after which the bottomfish fishery in federal waters would be shut down. The average annual catch from 2013 to 2017 has been 21,139 pounds.
The Council will work with its Scientific and Statistical Committee and the American Samoa DMWR to explore other management options, such as area management and including cultural harvest at the offshore banks for deep-water snappers, to address the overfished status. The Council also requested that the NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) prioritize the development of a fishery-independent survey in American Samoa to improve understanding of the stock.
To help improve the collection of data in the American Samoa bottomfish fishery, the Council directed its staff to work with its local fishermen advisors in the Territory to identify ways the members can assist with training fishermen on using a self-reporting data app. The Council also requested that the American Samoa DMWR work with the Governor’s Fisheries Task Force to address issues with data collection that have led to the current poor stock status and to coordinate with the Council and NMFS PIFSC to develop a strategy to address those issues.
The Council also directed its staff to explore the creation of sectors in the American Samoa bottomfish fishery that would separate the species complex between the nearshore bottomfish fishery and the offshore deep-water snapper fishery.
The Council meeting will conclude today, by web conference (Webex) with host sites at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa, Chuchuko Room, 202 Hilton Rd., Tumon Bay, Guam; Hyatt Regency Saipan, Royal Palm Ave., Micro Beach Rd., Saipan, CNMI; and Department of Port Administration, Airport Conference Room, 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.
June 25, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council concluded the first day of its three-day virtual meeting yesterday with discussions and recommendations regarding the work of partner agencies and program planning. Topics ranged from marine national monuments, COVID-19 impacts, stock assessments, fisheries performance and more. 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 (CNMI) and the US Pacific Remote Islands Areas.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) reported that development of draft management plans for two marine national monuments are ongoing. The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) and Marianas Trench Marine National Monument were established on Jan. 6, 2009, by presidential proclamation. Together with monument expansion of PRIMNM by President Obama on Sept. 29, 2014, the monuments prohibit US commercial fishing vessels from operating in nearly 600,000 square miles of US exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters. PIRO Regional Administrator Michael Tosatto said NMFS and the US Fish and Wildlife Service are working to identify new and emerging issues to inform the PRIMNM management plan planning process and are evaluating the timeline for the public release of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument draft management plan. The Council recommended that NMFS PIRO include the CNMI Monument Advisory Committee and the Territory of Guam in the review of the draft management plan for the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument. According to the presidential proclamations, the management plans were to have been developed within two years of establishment of the monuments.
NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) reported on the impacts of COVID-19 on the Hawai’i commercial fisheries and markets. The report shows that revenue dropped by 80% due to restaurant closures and travel/visitor restrictions. PIFSC Director Mike Seki also shared a tool PIFSC researchers built that provides a visualized market demand curve based on historical data. The tool allows industry to explore tradeoffs in market supply and price to meet objectives. The Council recommended that PIFSCcoordinate with agencies and industry representatives in the Territories to provide market monitoring analyses and demand tracking app for each area.
PIFSC Director Mike Seki als reported that three cruises on the NOAA ship Oscar Elton Sette and another on the NOAA ship Rainer have been cancelled due to COVID-19 impacts. Monk seal and turtle field camps have been delayed. Fisheries data collection training, surveys, biosampling, lab work, etc. have been reduced or suspended. The Council recommended that PIFSC coordinate with the Council and the Territory of American Samoa’s Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources to determine viable logistic solutions to continue the American Samoa research cruise. American Samoa bottomfish has been determined recently by NMFS to be overfished and subject to overfishing. The Council has two years to develop and implement a rebuilding plan for the stock in federal waters. Most of the fishery occurs in waters 0 to 3 miles offshore under jurisdiction of the Territory. Many fishery advisors, fishermen and scientists point to the lack of complete and accurate data as the reason for the pessimistic stock status determination.
The Council also agreed that the impacts of COVID-19 to the region’s fisheries should be noted in the Council’s 2020 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports. The Council reviewed and approved the 2019 SAFE reports, which can be found on the Council’s website.
The Council meeting continues through June 25, 2020, by web conference (Webex) with host sites at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa, Chuchuko Room, 202 Hilton Rd., Tumon Bay, Guam; Hyatt Regency Saipan, Royal Palm Ave., Micro Beach Rd., Saipan, CNMI; and Department of Port Administration, Airport Conference Room, 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.
June 22, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will convene June 22 to 25 to address management of main Hawaiian Island uku (grey snapper), American Samoa bottomfish and protected species interactions in the Hawai’i and American Samoa longline fisheries. The meeting will be held by video conference with host sites at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa, Chuchuko Room, 202 Hilton Rd., Tumon Bay, Guam; Hyatt Regency Saipan, Royal Palm Ave., Micro Beach Rd., Saipan, CNMI; and Department of Port Administration, Airport Conference Room, Pago Pago International Airport, Tafuna Village, American Samoa. Instructions on connecting to Webex, agendas and briefing documents are posted at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars.
The uku (Aprion virescens, grey snapper) stock in the main Hawaiian Islands is not overfished nor subject to overfishing according to a NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. The fishery is considered to be data-rich, using a fishery-independent measure of biomass, length and local life history information gathered from the commercial and non-commercial sectors. The 2018 spawning stock was estimated to be 1.8 million pounds, which is 2¾ times the calculated sustainable threshold of 663,705 pounds. The Council will use the acceptable biological catch set by its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) to specify the annual catch limit for the fishery for fishing years 2021-2024.
The 2019 assessment of the American Samoa bottomfish fishery indicates that the stock is overfished and subject to overfishing. The National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) notified the Council of its obligation to end overfishing immediately and develop and implement within two years a plan that would rebuild the overfished stock within 10 years. The fishery harvests multiple species of varying depth range and has diverse life history characteristics for which information is sparse and borrowed from other areas. Data sources are creel surveys that estimate total catch and commercial receipt books that capture fish sold to the market. The SSC has recommended that the Council work with American Samoa to develop management options and explore effort and biological limits and area management, as any federal measure would apply to federal waters only, i.e., beyond 3 nautical miles from shore. The SSC also recommended that the bottomfish rebuilding plan include cultural harvest in the offshore banks for deep-water snappers. With the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection efforts have been reduced with unknown consequences on the quality of data that will represent fishing year 2020.
Endangered Species Act consultations are ongoing for the Hawai’i and American Samoa longline tuna fisheries regarding interactions with protected species. Based on available scientific information, the impact by these US longline fisheries is low compared to foreign fisheries and any measure implemented in these US fisheries is likely to have a limited effect on the population. The Hawai’i-based deep-set longline fishery targeting bigeye tuna and American Samoa longline fishery targeting albacore are monitored with 20% federal observer coverage.
June 22, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
Area-based management has become a an international focal point for fisheries management with the United Nations advocating for some form of protected area in 30% of the ocean by 2030.
In response to this initiative and other issues, 34 fishery science and management experts from intergovernmental and nongovernmental agencies, regional fishery management organizations and academia convened by teleconference June 15-17 as a first step toward the development of a “Roadmap to Effective Area-Based Management of Blue Water Fisheries.” The workshop addressed emerging issues in national waters and in areas beyond national jurisdiction and called for clarity in objectives, monitoring and area-based selection. It also stressed comparing static vs dynamic area-based approaches.
The participants agreed that simply closing large sections of the ocean is not a silver bullet for managing blue water fisheries and their ecosystems and that marine protected areas (MPAs) are merely a single element within the tool box of area-based management.
“Area-based management tools are not exclusively MPAs or closures,” noted Ray Hilborn, professor at the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington.
Convened by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and co-chaired by Hilborn and Vera Agostini (UN Food and Agriculture Organization), the workshop included participants from the Americas, Australia/Oceania and Europe. Workshop contributors addressed the application of area-based management tools to reach objectives pertaining to sustainable food production (local and global), employment (local and global), economic health and welfare, communities and culture, protected and non-target species, ecosystem integrity and resilience to climate change and other stressors.
Area-based management may be static in nature (i.e., have a fixed spatial delineation) or dynamic, whereby portions of the ecosystem closed to fishing can change in space and time. The workshop called for clarity in objectives, monitoring and area-based selection and comparing static vs dynamic area-based approaches.
Participants pointed out that with rapidly emerging technologies to collect data and monitor fisheries, area-based management can be adaptive and more precise in its implementation. But these objectives and management capabilities are also linked with specific need for empirical evidence and research.
“We can’t really predict the impacts of many actions because of information gaps,” Hilborn said.
Stakeholders and leading scientists cautioned for clear planning on the use of area-based management tools in blue water ecosystems rather than strictly opportunistic or “set it and forget it” implementation. Highly migratory fish movements are dynamic and their distributions are often moving, so scientific evaluation in planning is critical.
“Economic, cultural and social objectives need to be considered thoroughly prior to implementation of area-based management, and industry engagement is critical,” noted Craig Severance, professor of anthropology emeritus, University of Hawai’i at Hilo.
Alternative management measures should be explored and evaluated alongside any area-based management measures considered, including take MPAs, the participants agreed.
The workshop will produce the “Roadmap” document by the end of 2020 for publication as peer-reviewed literature.
June 15, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council concluded its three-day virtual meeting yesterday. Key outcomes addressed the main Hawaiian Islands uku stock assessment, American Samoa bottomfish rebuilding plan and measures to mitigate incidental interactions of the Hawai’i and American Samoa longline fisheries with protected species.
Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets June 23-25, 2020, by web conference (Webex) with host sites at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa, Chuchuko Room, 202 Hilton Rd., Tumon Bay, Guam; Hyatt Regency Saipan, Royal Palm Ave., Micro Beach Rd., Saipan, CNMI; and Department of Port Administration, Airport Conference Room, 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.
Main Hawaiian Islands Uku Stock Assessment
The uku (Aprion virescens; grey snapper) stock in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) is not overfished nor subject to overfishing according to a NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) 2020 assessment presented at the SSC meeting. The uku fishery is considered to be data-rich, using a fishery-independent measure of biomass, length and local life history information gathered from the commercial and non-commercial sectors. The 2018 spawning stock was estimated to be 1.8 million pounds, which is 2¾ times the calculated sustainable threshold of 663,705 pounds. The SSC accepted the assessment as the best scientific information available and recommended that the Council direct staff to convene the P* and Social Economic Ecological and Management Uncertainties working groups. The analyses from these groups quantify uncertainties and set the acceptable biological catch and specify the annual catch limits for the main Hawaiian Islands uku fishery for fishing years 2021-2024.
American Samoa Bottomfish Rebuilding Plan
In contrast to the data-rich MHI uku fishery, the American Samoa bottomfish fishery is data-poor. This data-limited situation has persisted for decades and culminated with a 2019 stock assessment that said the American Samoa bottomfish stock was overfished and subject to overfishing. National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) notified the Council of its obligation to end overfishing immediately and develop and implement within two years a plan that would rebuild the overfished stock within 10 years. This fishery harvests multiple species of varying depth range and has diverse life history characteristics for which information is sparse and borrowed from other areas. Data sources are only from creel surveys that estimate total catch and the commercial receipt book system that captures fish sold to the market.
The SSC deliberated the different scenarios to reduce overfishing and rebuild the stock. The very low catch projections from the assessment do not allow for a viable fishery with a catch limit projected to be 2,000 pounds and in order to rebuild within 10 years, the catch has to be further reduced to 1,500 pounds. The SSC recommended that the Council work with American Samoa to develop management options and explore effort and biological limits and area management.
The SSC also discussed the cultural significance of the bottomfish fishery and recommended that the bottomfish rebuilding plan include cultural harvest in the offshore banks for deep-water snappers. American Samoa is a Magnuson-Stevens Act-designated fishing community that is widely recognized as having a unique ability to adapt to technological change while maintaining strong cultural resilience, roots and identity through the practice of Samoan custom and the Samoan way known as fa’a Samoa.
The SSC emphasized that closing the fishery means that no new information is generated that can be used in the next stock assessment. With the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection efforts have been reduced with unknown consequences on the quality of data that will represent fishing year 2020.
Reasonable and Prudent Measures for Protected Species Interactions
The SSC reviewed considerations to mitigate incidental interactions with protected species that may be needed under the ongoing Endangered Species Act consultations for the Hawai’i deep-set and American Samoa longline fisheries.
The SSC found that interactions with protected species such as leatherback turtles and giant manta rays are rare. Based on available scientific information, including recent sea turtle population assessments, the relative impact to these species from US longline fisheries operating out of Hawai’i and American Samoa is low compared to foreign fisheries. Any measure implemented in these fisheries is likely to have a limited effect on the population. The SSC recommended that mitigation measures create incentives for industry to report and reduce impacts. Measures should also consider trade-offs of target catch and protected species interactions to avoid unintended consequences.
Data from US longline fleets, highlighted by the SSC for its conservation value, represent one of few reliable sources for the overall number of interactions with protected species. Hawai’i-based deep-set longline fishery targeting bigeye tuna and American Samoa longline fishery targeting albacore are monitored with 20% federal observer coverage. In contrast, most international fleets operating in the North Pacific Ocean have less than 5% coverage.
June 9, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The 182nd meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will convene June 23-25, 2020, by web conference (WebEx) with host sites at the following locations:
The Council will consider and may take action on the issues summarized below, including any public comments on them. Written public comments on final action items should be received by the Council’s executive director by 5 p.m. (Hawai’i time), Tuesday, June 12, 2020, by postal mail, fax or email as indicated below. Instructions for providing oral public comments during the meeting will be posted on the Council website at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars.
Mail: Ms. Kitty M. Simonds
Executive Director
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400
Honolulu, HI 96813
FAX: (808) 522-8226
E-mail: info@wpcouncil.org
SUMMARY OF 182nd COUNCIL MEETING ACTION ITEMS
A
1. 2021 US Territorial Longline Bigeye Specification (Final Action)
Bigeye tuna comprises a Pacific-wide population that is internationally managed and assessed as separate stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) and Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, respectively. Stock assessments conducted in 2017 (updated in 2018) for the WCPO indicate the bigeye tuna stock is not subject to overfishing nor overfished. A new stock assessment is expected in 2020 with no new significant information to be incorporated, so stock status is not expected to change.
The WCPFC, of which the United States is a member, develops and agrees on conservation and management measures (CMMs) for highly migratory species caught by fisheries (longline and purse seine) and flag state in the WCPO. In December 2018, the WCPFC agreed on CMM 2018-01, which maintains the 2016 longline bigeye limits of six countries, including the United States, which has a limit of 3,554 metric tons (mt). CMM 2018-01, like earlier conservation measures, does not establish an individual limit on the amount of bigeye tuna that may be harvested annually in the Convention Area by Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Participating Territories, including American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). CMM 2018-01 will expire at the end of 2020 with a possibility of new catch limits for fishery sectors and flag states under the WCPFC. The WCPFC may also decide to resume current catch limits for flag states and participating members through 2021.
Amendment 7 to the Council’s Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) established a management framework that provides catch or effort limits applicable to the US Participating Territories that include the authority of the US Participating Territories to use, assign, allocate and manage the pelagic management species catch and effort limits agreed to by the WCPFC through Specified Fishing Agreements with US vessels permitted under the Pelagic FEP for the purposes of responsible fisheries development.
For 2019, the Council’s specifications limited each US Participating Territory’s bigeye longline catch to 2,000 mt and its allocation limit with US-flagged vessels to up to 1,000 mt. However, only two agreements were made with US-flagged vessels and the fishery closed before the end of the fishing season on December 28. For 2020, the Council took action at its 181st meeting in March 2020 to specify bigeye longline catch and allocation limits to up to 2,000 mt for each Participating Territory with total allocations from the US Participating Territories not to exceed 3,000 mt. The action is undergoing rulemaking.
At its 182nd meeting, the Council will consider taking final action on the specification of the annual Territory bigeye longline limits applicable for American Samoa, Guam and the CNMI for 2021. The Council will also consider limits on the amount of catch that could be transferred under Specified Fishing Arrangements by the US Participating Territories to vessels permitted under the Pelagic FEP.
The Council will consider the following limit options for 2021:
2. Guam and Pacific Remote Island Areas Marine Conservation Plan
The Marine Conservation Plans (MCPs) for Guam and the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA) expire in 2020. At its 182nd meeting, the Council will review the MCPs for concurrence and approval. After review by the Council, the MCPs are transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for approval.
Section 204(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) authorizes the Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary of Commerce and in consultation with the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, to negotiate and enter into a Pacific Insular Area Fishery Agreement (PIAFA). A PIAFA would allow foreign fishing within the 200-mile US exclusive economic zone (EEZ) adjacent to American Samoa, CNMI, Guam, or the PRIA with the concurrence of, and in consultation with, the applicable governors. According to the MSA, before entering into a PIAFA, the appropriate governor, with the concurrence of the Council, must develop a three-year MCP providing details on uses for any funds collected by the Secretary under the PIAFA. In the case of the PRIA, the MSA directs the Council to develop and submit the MCP (MSA §204(e)(4)(b)) .
In addition to PIAFA funds, the MSA provides that fines and penalties of violations by foreign vessels occurring within the EEZ around the Pacific Insular Areas, including sums collected from forfeiture and disposition or sale of property seized by the federal government, are to be deposited into the applicable local government’s treasury and to be used to implement the respective MCP. For fines from illegal foreign fishing in the PRIA, the funds are deposited into the Western Pacific Sustainable Fisheries Fund, which allows the Council to use funds to implement MCP projects.
The MSA requires that the MCPs shall be consistent with the Council’s FEPs. The MSA also requires that the MCPs include, but are not be limited to, the following conservation and management objectives:
(i) Pacific Insular Area observer programs, or other monitoring programs, that the Secretary determines are adequate to monitor the harvest, bycatch and compliance with the laws of the United States by foreign fishing vessels that fish under Pacific Insular Area fishing agreements;
(ii) Conduct of marine and fisheries research, including development of systems for information collection, analysis, evaluation and reporting;
(iii) Conservation, education and enforcement activities related to marine and coastal management, such as living marine resource assessments, habitat monitoring and coastal studies;
(iv) Education and training in the development and implementation of sustainable marine resources development projects, scientific research, and conservation strategies; and
(v) Western Pacific community-based demonstration projects under section 112(b) of the Sustainable Fisheries Act and other coastal improvement projects to foster and promote the management, conservation, and economic enhancement of the Pacific Insular Areas.
If approved by the Council and Secretary of Commerce, the MCPs are valid for a period of three years; however, an MCP can be modified at any time and resubmitted for approval.
June 8, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
Changes affecting fishing communities due to COVID-19 closures, mandatory electronic reporting for the American Samoa longline fishery and the 2019 annual status of the fisheries report were among topics discussed by fishermen from Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) during their May 29, May 30 and June 6 virtual meetings. The groups constitute the Advisory Panels (APs) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.
In addition, the Hawai’i AP noted that the biological distribution of marine species had shifted due to the lack of tourism-related activities, especially in the nearshore areas, and requested that impacts from COVID-19 be included in the 2020 annual fisheries report. The American Samoa AP recommended that the Council ask the National Marine Fisheries Service work with the American Samoa longline fishery to begin implementation of electronic reporting as soon as possible and set a target date of mandatory reporting for Oct. 1, 2021.
The Guam AP discussed the launch of the Council’s new electronic data reporting app that allows commercial and non-commercial fishermen to collect and have access to their data in near-real-time, while helping scientists and managers more effectively manage the marine resources. The CNMI AP recommended that the Council request the removal of the fishing prohibitions in the Marine National Monuments in response to the president’s Executive Order 13921.
AP members represent diverse fisheries, including spearfish, longline, bottomfish, charter boat, subsistence and the fishery media. The AP is mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
The Council will consider the AP recommendations when it meets virtually June 23 to 25, 2020. For agendas and background materials on the AP and Council meetings, visit www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars or contact the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or call (808) 522-8220.
June 5, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
Scientists from throughout the Pacific will convene June 9-11, 2020, to discuss fishery management issues and make recommendations for future management of 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 by web conference. The full agenda, background documents and instructions for connecting to the meeting and providing oral public comments are available at www.wpcouncil.org/event/136th-scientific-and-statistical-committee. Among the agenda items are the following:
American Samoa Bottomfish Fishery
The Council has asked the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to apply an interim measure provided for in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) that would allow for overfishing to be reduced but not ended for a period of one year or less. The interim measure would allow the biomass to rebuild while minimizing the impacts of a severe reduction in catch to the fishing community. NMFS calculated that at 13,000 pounds the stock would still see a 1% increase in biomass. However, implementation of the interim measure would be challenging because only 15% of the bottomfish habitat is in federal waters and fishing effort is mostly in territorial waters. NMFS will provide an update on where it is at in terms of completing the interim measure rule.
The MSA requires the Council to specify the annual catch limit (ACL) in conjunction with the SSC setting the acceptable biological catch for the American Samoa bottomfish fishery for fishing years 2021 to 2024. Council staff will provide an update on the specification process. Given the scientific uncertainty of the fishery, working groups have recommended a 30% risk of overfishing. The law allows up to a 50% risk of overfishing. The catch associated with a 30% risk level given the 2019 stock assessment for the fishery by NMFS is 2,000 pounds. The average annual catch from 2016 to 2018 has been 18,352 pounds.
The 2019 stock assessment found the American Samoa bottomfish fishery to be overfished (the stock biomass is below the level needed for it to reproduce at maximum sustainable yield) and subject to overfishing (the level of fishing effort is not sustainable, i.e., would lead to an overfished status). The Council, in consultation with its SSC, must develop and implement within two years a plan that would rebuild the overfished stock within 10 years. At the same time, the Council must immediately end overfishing. The current projection from NMFS shows the stock could rebuild within 10 years with an ACL ranging between 0 to 1,500 pounds.
The SSC may provide advice on potential options that could simultaneously rebuild the bottomfish stock, end overfishing and keep the fishery open.
Stock Definitions
Stock status definition criteria for the management unit species under each of the five Council Fishery Ecosystem Plans will be developed and used to provide guidance on National Standards 3 of the MSA.Bottomfish stocks in two adjacent island areas for the same management units are currently split up by jurisdictional boundaries, which may not be commensurate with the distribution of the management units. Research on reef fish shows no genetic differentiation in adults and recruits between the two regions. In the case of North Pacific striped marlin, stock boundaries are dictated by geopolitical jurisdictional boundaries drawn by regional fishery management organizations. Like territorial bottomfish, this stock has issues for which jurisdictional boundaries are not consistent with biological information (genetics, movement from tagging, life history commonalities) that should replace jurisdictional boundaries for defining stocks. National Standard 3 of the MSA states; “To the extent practicable, an individual stock of fish shall be managed as a unit throughout its range, and interrelated stocks of fish shall be managed as a unit or in close coordination.”
Main Hawaiian Island Uku
The SSC will hear a report on the review of the 2020 main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) uku (Aprion virescens; grey snapper) stock assessment. The review was performed in Honolulu Feb. 24-28, 2020. Model estimates of population biomass show a gradual decline from 1948 to the late 1980s, followed by a brief period of stability and a substantial increase in biomass starting in the early 2000s. The SSC will determine if the assessment is the best scientific information available for fishery management decisions.
Electronic Reporting
Council staff will be presenting an overview of the Catchit Logit app suite, an electronic reporting system developed by the Council in collaboration with the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. This is an integrated reporting system where the fisher app and fish vendor app are linked by the administration app. This provides a near-real-time reporting system and an alternative source of fishery-dependent data to support the development of a new stock assessment. This self-reporting system is supported by the mandatory license and reporting regulations in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam (still being developed). Council staff will show elements of the app and dashboard system that automatically summarize the data of individual fishermen on their devices and a public version that summarizes the data for the fishery as a whole. This effort will also be supported by comprehensive outreach to the fishing community and a training workshop for fishermen and fish retailers that will be participating in this program.
Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets June 22-25, 2020, by web conference (Webex) with host sites at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa, Chuchuko Room, 202 Hilton Rd., Tumon Bay, Guam; Hyatt Regency Saipan, Royal Palm Ave., Micro Beach Rd., Saipan, CNMI; and Department of Port Administration, Airport Conference Room, 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.