December 10, 2024 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC), which has authority over the stewardship of fisheries in the state and territorial waters of Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Islands, is pushing back against a proposal to list giant clams in the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).
“I feel NMFS is just ramming this through the system,” said WPRFMC Council Member Sylvian Igisomar, who is also the chair of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Lands and Natural Resources.