March 13, 2023 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
Scientific advisors to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will meet March 14-16, 2023, to provide advice and comments on on protected species interactions with the commercial Hawai‘i deep-set and American Samoa longline fisheries, domestic and international fishing regulations, and other topics.
The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will convene in a hybrid format, with public attendance limited to remote participation via 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/147th-scientific-and-statistical-committee-meeting.
Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultations
The SSC will review draft biological opinions (BiOps) for the Hawai‘i deep-set longline and American Samoa longline fisheries, released this week by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The BiOps, part of a formal consultation process, concluded the two longline fisheries are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of ESA-listed species. The fleets have incidental interactions with species such as sea turtles, oceanic whitetip sharks and giant manta rays. Many of the animals are released alive following handling guidelines intended to increase their chance of survival. The SSC may provide advice to the Council on the BiOp analyses and findings.
International Bigeye Tuna Management
The SSC will review information on bigeye tuna catch and/or allocation limits for American Samoa, Guam and the CNMI and may advise the Council on a preliminary preferred option. The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) has agreed to maintain the 2016 longline bigeye limits of six countries, including the United States, until the end of 2023.
Conservation and management measure 2021-01 does not establish individual limits on the amount of bigeye tuna that may be harvested annually by Small Island Developing States and Participating Territories, including American Samoa, Guam and the CNMI. The WCPFC may decide to resume current catch limits for flag states and participating members through 2023 and beyond. The Council has identified additional considerations that warrant its direction and action for the implementation of the management framework modifications to the Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan. The recommended catch and/or allocation limits would not take effect until 2024 at the earliest.
NWHI Fishing Cost Recovery Analysis
The Council has recommended regulations for permitting fishing in the Monument Expansion Area (MEA) of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), including Native Hawaiian subsistence fishing practices permits and cost recovery for those permits. The cost recovery limit would not exceed $15,000 per trip, and permittees must report direct costs and catch information. NOAA has conducted an analysis of historical trip costs and current prices, which will be presented to the Council at its March 2023 meeting. The SSC may review options for cost recovery and recommend an appropriate total cost to be recovered through the permits.
The MEA was established in 2016 by Presidential Proclamation 9478 and is managed by NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Proclamation allows for regulated fishing activities, including Native Hawaiian practices and noncommercial fishing, but prohibits commercial fishing activities and anchoring on any living or dead coral.
Other agenda topics include Guam bottomfish data workshop outcomes, a shark bycatch mortality study and area-based management issues.
Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets March 27-28 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Saipan, CNMI, and March 30-31, 2023, at the Guam Hilton Hotel in Tamuning. Instructions on connecting to the web conference, agendas and briefing documents are posted atwww.wpcouncil.org/event/194th-council-meeting.