Saving Seafood

StarKist employees submit petition and comments opposing PIRA expansion

June 22, 2023 โ€” More than 1,200 StarKist Samoa cannery workers have signed a petition, which voices their opposition to the federal proposal for marine sanctuary designation for the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PIRA) โ€” a move that would expand the Pacific Remote Island Marine National Monument (PRINMM).

Cannery workers displayed their opposition during a public meeting on the proposal held last month at the Tauese P.F Sunia Ocean Center in Utulei, as they joined ASG and others in the territory to oppose the federal plan.

The four-page petition, along with other public comments, was released recently on the federal portal (www.regulations.gov), which shows that as of yesterday morning nearly 6,000 comments have been received.

June 2 was the final date for comment submission and no new information is available on expanding the comment deadline as requested by Gov. Lemanu P.S. Mauga to the U.S Commerce Secretary.

Read the full article at Samoa News

Pros and Cons at the NOAA Public Scope Meeting in Am Samoa

May 31, 2023 โ€”  Standing room only crowd attended Thursdayโ€™s NOAA hearing on the proposed expansion of the Pacific Remote Island Area (PRIA) and while a few speakers supported the proposal for the sake of conservation, many speakers came out against it saying it would have a negative impact on the cannery and therefore the territoryโ€™s economy. Here is a sampling of the comments.

Longtime fisherman and boat builder Maselino Ioane spoke in support of the proposal to designate submerged lands and waters surrounding the Pacific Remote Islands to the full extent of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as a new national marine sanctuary at the public scoping meeting on Wednesday, May 224, 2023 at the Tauese PF Sunia Ocean Center.

A member of the alia association, Ioane said there were more than 50 alia boats back in the 80s but that number had dropped drastically when purse seiners started fishing in American Samoa fishing grounds. He said the methods used by these vessels harm not only the small fish but also big fishes and other marine life.

Read the full article at Samoa News

WPRFMC: 2021 Public Meetings Notice

November 15, 2021 โ€” The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council announces the following public meetings on fisheries management in offshore waters of Hawaiโ€˜i (HI), American Samoa (AS), Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIAs). Unless otherwise noted, the meetings will be held by web conference. Host sites are subject to local and federal safety and health guidelines regarding COVID-19; check the Council website for updates. All times listed are local island times. For more information on the virtual meeting connection and complete agendas, go to www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars, email info@wpcouncil.org, fax (808) 522-8226 or phone (808) 522-8220.

Fishing Industry Advisory Committee

November 16 (T)     1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Fishing and market issues/impacts; Seabird mitigation measure revisions in the HI deep-set longline (DSLL) fishery; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting reports; False killer whale acoustic study and Take Reduction Team research priorities; AS gear diversification project report; and CNMI bottomfish (BF) development and training report.

Non-Commercial Fisheries Advisory Committee 

November 16 (T)     3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Fishery allocation discussion; National Recreational Fishing Summit update; and Fishermen observations.

AS Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Advisory Panel (AP)

November 16 (T)     6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (SST)

Major agenda items: AS Sustainable Fisheries Fund (SFF) project reports; AS outreach and education update; AS BF Data Workshop report; Territorial BF Fishery Management Plan update; AS fishermen observations update; and AP plans.

Pelagic and International Standing Committee

November 17 (W)    1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Seabird mitigation measure revisions in the HI DSLL fishery; Endangered Species Act Biological Opinions report; Hawaii Longline Assoc. and Tautai o Samoa Longline & Fishing Assoc. reports; and WCPFC meeting reports.

Social Science Planning Committee

November 18 (Th)   1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Socioeconomic modules for the annual Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation reports; Social Science Strategic Plan update; and Environmental justice in fisheries management.

Mariana Archipelago FEP-CNMI AP

November 18 (Th)   1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (ChST)

Major agenda items: Fish aggregating devices (FADs) and fishery infrastructure reports; Military issues and concerns; Catchit Logit transfer and mandatory reporting requirements; SFF project updates; CNMI fishermen observations update; and AP plans.

Mariana Archipelago FEP-Guam AP

November 18 (Th)   6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (ChST)

Major agenda items: Military issues and concerns; FAD issues and solutions; Council Coral Reef Program update; AP outreach and education report; Guam fishermen observations update; and AP plans.

HI Archipelago FEP AP

November 19 (F)     1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Seabird mitigation measure revisions in the HI DSLL fishery; Proposed Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) sanctuary update; Green turtle management update; HI Dept. of Aquatic Resources sportfish funding report; HI fishermen observations update; and AP plans and working group reports.

142nd Scientific and Statistical Committee

Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/142SSCMtg. If prompted, password SSC142mtg.

November 30 โ€“ December 2 (T โ€“ Th)  11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Seabird mitigation measure revisions in the HI DSLL fishery (action item); Environmental justice report; AS BF Data Workshop report; and SSC and Council Coordination Committee area-based working group reports.

Executive and Budget Standing Committee

December 6 (M)  3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Financial and administrative matters; and Council family changes.

189th Council Meeting

Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/189CouncilMtg. If prompted, password CM189mtg.

Host sites: Tedi of Samoa Bldg., Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, AS

BRI Bldg., Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, CNMI

Cliff Pointe, 304 W. Oโ€™Brien Drive, Hagatรฑa, Guam

December 7 โ€“ 9 (T โ€“ Th)   11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: Territorial creel survey expansion; Seabird mitigation measure revisions in theHI DSLL fishery (action item); False killer whale weak hook study report; AS BF Data Workshop report; WCPFC meeting reports; and Proposed NWHI sanctuary update.

Written comments on final action items on the 189th Council meeting agenda received by Dec. 3, 2021, will be distributed to Council members prior to meeting. Direct comments to Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director, WPRFMC, and mail to 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813; fax to (808) 522-8226; or email to info@wpcouncil.org. Written comments on all other agenda items may be submitted for the record by email throughout the duration of the meeting.