January 13, 2015 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
Council Conducts Five-Year Review of its Fishery Ecosystem Plans
2014 marks the five-year point since the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council transitioned from species based Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) to place-based Fishery Ecosystem Plans (FEPs). The Council is now undergoing a review of its FEPs and adopting several priority work areas for the next five years (2015-2019)…
Fish and International Fisheries Face Major Challenges
It's not a good time to be a bigeye tuna or a US purse seiner in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO).
The recent stock assessment conducted by the Scientific Committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) is far from encouraging. Catches continue to be twice the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) despite longline fishery reductions, primarily due to the continued high catches of juvenile bigeye …
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