Saving Seafood

News for the Western Pacific Region

New Day on the Horizon for Western Pacific Fisheries

December 18, 2024 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Council) ended its 201st meeting on a hopeful note, inspired by the upcoming change in the Federal administration. The Council found that the incoming administration provides a chance to make U.S. fisheries in the Pacific great again.

After finally achieving an increase in longline bigeye tuna quotas last year, in 2024, U.S. fisheries in the Pacific were once again ignored and suffered a loss in striped marlin quota at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The decision by the WCPFC requires the U.S. to set a catch limit of 228.4 metric tons annually from 2025 to 2027, a decrease of 50% from the previous limit. 

Kitty Simonds, Executive Director of the Council, said that she was “disappointed at the uneven playing field,” noting that the U.S. is the only fleet or country taking a reduction. She suggested that the impact of the rule will decrease the value of marlin and increase waste in the fishery.

The Ensuring Access to Pacific Fisheries Act (Public Law 14-327), states that “The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State, in the course of negotiations, shall seek— (1) to minimize any disadvantage to United States fishermen in relation to other members of the Commission.” Archie Soliai, Council vice Chair, said that the US government can and must do better to advocate for the best interests of its territories. Our future, our livelihoods, and the economic stability of our communities depend on it.”

Nate Ilaoa, American Samoa businessman, reminded the Council that “American Samoa has a signed contract with the U.S. in the form of the Deeds of Cession” referencing the document from April 17, 1900 that the U.S. signed with the Matai (chiefs) agreeing to protect and look after the interest of American Samoa.

With a change in administration, the Council plans to take the opportunity to write to the incoming administration and outline the issues with existing federal and international conservation and management measures. Simonds said that decisions from the Federal government have continued to negatively impact the U.S. Pacific Island fishing communities.

To improve U.S. fisheries, at this meeting, the Council also deliberated on implementation approaches for establishing protected species handling training requirements for Hawaii and American Samoa longline fisheries. The main goals are to reduce post-release mortality by addressing protected species handling and release through specific training to crew members that can assist during hauling operations. The recommendation specified a 1-2 year certification period for crew, maintaining the annual workshop certification for vessel owners and operators, and allowing flexibility for crew certifications to be met through owner/operator workshops.

“Considering high turnover, specifically for American Samoa, it is an ongoing challenge,” remarked American Samoa Council Member Archie Soliai. He suggested that “it makes [more] sense to have training for everyone together.”

Also, the Council advanced plans to transition electronic monitoring (EM) from a research initiative to an operational management tool. Recognizing the challenges posed by declining human observer coverage (due to overbudget costs), the Council outlined a phased approach to EM implementation that includes authorizing EM systems to monitor protected species interactions over three years as an optional program and establishing regional standards and a robust data review process.

“While the U.S. fisheries have suffered setbacks in recent years,” said Will Sword, Council Chairman, “we hope that these measures will continue the Council’s track record of encouraging sustainable fishing and perpetuating Pacific Island traditions and culture,”

Additional Council Actions

Guam Bottomfish Rebuilding Plan: The Council recommended increasing the annual catch limit to 34,500 pounds, with a post-season accountability measure to rebuild stocks by 2031. This measure means if the average catch over the most recent three years exceeds the limit, the following year’s limit will be reduced by the overage to prevent overfishing.

American Samoa Bottomfish Management: The Council recommended removing the Tier 6 acceptable biological catch control rule from the current revision of the American Samoa bottomfish management unit species action. Instead, the Council will develop amendments to all its Fishery Ecosystem Plans (FEPs) to incorporate the Tier 6 approach, ensuring this flexible, data-limited management tool can be applied consistently across all fisheries under its jurisdiction.

North Pacific Striped Marlin: Initial steps were taken to set a catch limit of 228.4 metric tons annually from 2025 to 2027, aligning with international conservation measures.

The new measure cuts in half a guaranteed U.S. catch from the previous measure of 457 mt. (can fill out more here, longline fleet already constrained by the Billfish Conservation Act, etc.)

For more information, visit www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars

Nuisance alga detected beyond Papahānaumokuākea for the 1st time

December 17, 2024 — A red alga first found by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers smothering coral reefs in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) has been detected for the first time by the team outside of the marine monument and more than 2,000 miles away.

The research team detected DNA matching Chondria tumulosa in Majuro Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the east-central Pacific Ocean. Papahānaumokuākea is a chain of islands and atolls that extends approximately 1,200 miles northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands in the northern Pacific.

“Our discovery in Majuro suggests that C. tumulosa may be more widespread than we previously thought. This could have significant implications for coral reef ecosystems across the Pacific, potentially requiring broader monitoring efforts and a more comprehensive understanding of the alga’s distribution and ecological impact,” said UH Mānoa School of Life Sciences graduate student Patrick Nichols.

A threat to coral reefs

First detected in 2016 and named in 2020 by UH researchers, C. tumulosa has earned a reputation for smothering coral reefs in PMNM, where it forms dense mats that blanket corals and other native organisms. Its mat-forming behavior, ability to spread rapidly, and unknown origin have posed significant challenges for reef conservation.

Until now, the alga had only been observed spreading throughout the three northwestern-most atolls of PMNM: first at Manawai (Pearl and Hermes), then Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) and Hōlanikū (Kure Atoll). However, a new detection outside of Hawaiʻi caught the researchers by surprise.

Read the full article at the University of Hawaii News

IUCN report questions China’s fish conservation, management efforts to revive domestic stocks

December 12, 2024 — A new report from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has highlighted China’s weak efforts to revive fish stocks in its own waters, suggesting a need for China to implement more stringent controls on its fleet’s landings and collect better data to effectively measure the impacts of those controls.

Titled “Unselective, unsustainable, and unmonitored trawl fisheries?” the report states that efforts made in the past decade by China to replenish fish stocks in its domestic waters, such as scrapping vessels and instituting annual moratoriums on fishing in the East and South China seas, have not been enforced strongly enough to combat dwindling fish populations.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Fishing Gear Threatens Hawaiʻiʻs Already Endangered False Killer Whales

December 12, 2024 — A concerningly high number of endangered false killer whales are being injured when they get hooked by fishing gear in waters off the main Hawaiian islands, according to a new research paper released Thursday.

Published in the scientific journal Endangered Species Research, the research concludes there should be closer monitoring of that unique but dwindling local population and how the creatures — actually dolphins, not whales, and not killers — interact with the small-scale commercial and recreational boats that fish in those waters.

That could include installing cameras to record encounters with the false killer whales, which feed on the same large fish those boats catch and often go after what is already on the hook, said Robin Baird, a research biologist with the nonprofit Cascadia Research Collective, which led the study.

Read the full article at Civil Beats

US Western Pacific council fighting push to name giant clams under Endangered Species Act

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.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

American Samoa legislators voice concern over proposal to expand Marine Sanctuary

December 4, 2024 — American Samoa’s Senate President and Speaker of the House wrote in late November on behalf of the Legislature to express to President Joseph R. Biden their concern and opposition to the proposed expansion of the National Marine Sanctuary within the Pacific Remote Islands.

“As you consider potential actions during the concluding months of your administration, we urge you to resist all proposals to create or expand any Marine National Monument within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Western Pacific,” they wrote.

They believe that as ocean ecosystems face increasingly rapid changes, the U.S. fisheries management system — particularly through the oversight of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council — provides a stronger and more enduring framework for sustainable, science-based conservation measures than does the Antiquities Act.

“The Council has effectively managed these natural resources for our region, balancing ecological priorities with the economic needs of the local communities that depend on fishing for survival.”

Read the full story at Samoa News

Hawai‘i Coral Reef Assessments Complete for 2024

November 29, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries: 

In 2024, our scientists continued their effort to collect long-term, high-quality data on the coral reef communities of Hawai‘i. They built upon previous surveys dating back to 2005 for the main Hawaiian Islands, and to 2000 for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. They surveyed coral reefs around the eight inhabited Hawaiian Islands, as well as four atolls within the monument. This mission also marked an effort to build and sustain long-term reciprocal partnerships that nurture Native Hawaiian engagement and the crucial integration of traditional ecological knowledge.

While some surveys were conducted from shore, the bulk of the work was carried out aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette. They assessed fish populations, oceanographic conditions, and ocean chemistry to monitor potential changes in coral reef health. The survey is part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program and informs the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program. These important long-term data paint a picture of coral reef health over time and help inform scientists, resource managers, and communities.

These surveys were last conducted in the islands in 2016 and 2019. An exciting new addition to this year’s survey efforts was the opportunity to create a dedicated cultural practitioner position. A Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) scientist joined the team and used Indigenous knowledge systems to gather data.

Equally Valuing Native Hawaiian Knowledge Systems and Western Science

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument holds important cultural significance to Kānaka ʻŌiwi. It is the first mixed natural and cultural heritage UNESCO World Heritage site in the United States. As the original stewards of this special place, Kānaka ʻŌiwi perpetuate ancestral knowledge, values, and practices. They maintain living relationships passed down through millennia of lived experiences and expertise of place. We are committed to equally valuing Kānaka ʻŌiwi and Western knowledge systems of learning to better understand Papahānaumokuākea, and the broader Hawaiian Archipelago. We are dedicated to co-creating equitable, reciprocal, and inclusive processes. This is the first step towards conducting collaborative and integrative research and monitoring. This monitoring incorporates multiple perspectives, knowledge systems, and values and supports Hawaiian knowledge and knowledge holders, as is outlined in the Mai Ka Pō Mai.

To make this happen, we partnered with NOAA’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Native Hawaiian program specialist. We developed a cultural practitioner position to join the mission to Papahānaumokuākea. Because this role is a very personal one, the specific objectives of the position were co-developed with the individual to best align with their personal experiences and knowledge. We were lucky to have the cultural practitioner position filled by Nālani Olguin, who is both a Kanaka ʻŌiwi scientist and Ph.D. candidate. The main intention of the position was to begin to integrate Kānaka ʻŌiwi practices and traditional knowledge with the existing, Western science-based mission, in a way that worked for all parties.

The cultural practitioner provided opportunities for:

  • Understanding place and names—integral parts of Kanaka ʻŌiwi traditional knowledge systems
  • Learning about oral histories surrounding Papahāhaumokuākea and its cultural significance
  • Introducing topics, providing resources, and opening discussion about the integrations and connections of traditional knowledge systems and western science
  • Practicing Kānaka ʻŌiwi observational methodologies known as kilo and engaging in Huli ʻia (a tool developed by Native Hawaiian non-profit organization, Nā Maka Onaona) to document dominant cycles and seasonal changes across entire landscapes

We held several workshops prior to and during the mission for crew and scientists to learn and participate in cultural protocols and traditions. They focused on ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language), oli (chant), and more. They aimed to create a safe space for learning and to foster long-term learning to integrate traditional practices and knowledge systems with Western science for monitoring this sacred space.

Tom Oliver, NOAA Fisheries research ecologist, served as the chief scientist for the second leg of the 2024 mission. He reflected on the opportunities this mission provided, “Those of us given the privilege to visit these islands carry a kuleana (responsibility) to enter respectfully and properly, to be observant, to conduct ourselves respectfully, and to carry back what we’ve learned to implement into our daily practices. This year, we were also privileged enough to have an alakaʻi (guide) to help us learn more about this biocultural seascape through Native Hawaiian knowledge systems, values, practices, and worldview.”

HAWAII: ‘I make nothing’: Local fishers weigh leaving the industry as inflation drives up costs

October 18, 2024 — Troy Pack, the captain of the Itasca, a Hawaiʻi-based longline fishing boat, had a different outlook on his job just a few years ago.

“I loved being a captain. I loved my job. I love fishing, but it’s like I was making good money and it was worth it. It was worth being away from my family and worth being away and being out at sea for 25 days a month,” Pack said.

After a recent fishing trip, the Itasca was docked at Oʻahu’s Pier 38. On one afternoon, Pack, some of his crew and Peter Webster, who owns the Itasca, were taking a break aboard the vessel before heading out on another fishing trip.

There, Pack said he’s been rethinking his career.

After 20 years of fishing, he said he couldn’t live on the pay anymore.

“It’s coming to the point where I’m this close to just quitting, giving up, and just (getting) a normal nine-to-five. This last trip, I came in with 20,000 pounds of fish, they sold 16,000 pounds of it, and threw away 3,500 pounds. After expenses and everything … I would make more money working at McDonald’s,” he said.

The crew just came back from weeks on the ocean fishing mostly for ahi, specifically bigeye or yellowfin tuna.

There are some 140 Hawaiʻi-based longline fishing vessels that bring in more than 20 million pounds of tuna annually.

Collectively, the state’s longline commercial fishing industry is one of the largest local food producers. But Pack said he and others might be forced to leave the industry over what they’re making.

Read the full article at Hawaii Public Radio

Territory not included in NOAA’s “Fisheries of the United States” annual report

October 8, 2024 — The director of the Department of Marine & Wildlife Resources, Taotasi Archie Soliai has written to the Deputy Ass’t Administrator for Regulatory Programs of NOAA, Samuel Rauch III on his concerns about American Samoa not being included in NOAA’s “Fisheries of the United States” Annual Report, pointing to “a longstanding pattern of marginalization for our community.”

DMWR director’s concerns comes on the heels of the 200th Meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council held in Honolulu, last month, where an Indigenous Committee to provide recommendations to federal authorities on cultural fishing rights and related issues was established.

Read the full article at Samoa News

Can Japan sustain the rebound of its ‘phantom fish’?

October 7, 2024 — Around the room are different pieces of equipment used in Yoichi over a century ago. Black and white photos of the fish meal fertilizer process line the walls. He points to a poster showing the herring catch in Hokkaido from 1870 to the 1950s.

“So in the high peak, there were close to 1 million tons of herring being caught, like 970,000 tons,” he says. “But you know, herring catch declined over the years and in the mid-1950s the herring fishery collapsed.”

In recent years, the fishermen have tried to manage the fishery themselves, to avoid another collapse in the future. Hatcheries aided in the recovery, but some co-ops and processors are taking the charge to conserve the herring population seriously, with strict fishing management. Ikuo Wada, who leads the Ishikari Fishing Co-Op in Hokkaido, says the shorter fishing period and wider nets made a big difference. And they’ve even secured a sustainability certification from the Japanese government.

But Kouta Fukuhara, a dried herring processor I spoke with in Yoichi, is skeptical.

“The current structure of Japanese fishing is not sustainable. Let me compare with Alaska. Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulates all kinds of commercial fishing — when it starts, how much fish to be caught… In Japan, we don’t have a such a legal structure,” Fukuhara says. “And the fishermen catch a lot of herring, bring it back and take the fish to the market. And the market is saturated with herring. Too much herring in the market, and the price goes down and they don’t make much money.”

Read the full article at KCAW