Saving Seafood

WPFMC Leaders Express USCG Appreciation for Combatting IUU Fishing in Western Pacific Region

March 2, 2020 — Western Pacific Fishery Management Council Chair Taotasi Archie Soliai and Executive Director Kitty M. Simonds laud the US Coast Guard’s recent success in combating illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing in the Western Pacific Region.

On Monday, the Maritime Executive reported that for the first time since 2012, the Coast Guard’s Honolulu-based 14th District intercepted foreign vessels illegally operating within the U.S. exclusive economic zone waters off Guam and Hawai’i.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Tradition-Based Natural Resource Management: Practice and Application in the Hawaiian Islands

May 22, 2019 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council:

Palgrave Studies in Natural Resource Management has just announced the release of “Tradition-Based Natural Resource Management: Practice and Application in the Hawaiian Islands” by Ed Glazier. The book offers an overview of bottom-up management of natural resource management that can be applied globally; spotlights Native Hawaiian advocacy for traditional management of the island’s natural resources; and provides a framework for resource managers, scientists and policymakers as well as indigenous populations. It highlights the Aha Moku system of natural resource management.

In the Foreword, Kitty M. Simonds, executive director of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, writes: “From the resurgence of non-instrument navigation and traditional voyaging canoes to familiar activities like baby lua’u and other pa’ina (celebratory feastings), Ed shows that continuing and reclaiming the indigenous culture occurs on many levels and involves both Native Hawaiians and those who have come to call Hawai’i home.”

For more information, go to https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9783030148416

Fisheries Hearing: Amata’s Amendment and a cosponsored bill passed by Committee

May 7, 2019 — Last week, Congresswoman Aumua Amata and the Natural Resources Committee conducted hearings and voted on a series of bills, including passage of an amendment by Rep. Amata, along with a bill affecting the Territories on which she was an original cosponsor.

The Water, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee held a hearing examining the condition of U.S. fisheries.

“Fishing is the backbone of our economy in American Samoa, and a part of life in the islands,” said Amata. “The health and longevity of our fisheries is an important topic, and I respect the testimony of the witnesses. I also appreciate the insight of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, which most directly affects American Samoa. It’s important for Congress in setting policy to understand the stewardship role of fishery management and the differences in oversight of U.S. and international vessels.”

In other action, the full Committee on Natural Resources voted on a series of bills that were introduced recently, including passage of the bipartisan H.R. 1809, on which Rep. Amata is an original cosponsor. This bill would amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act, to provide parity for United States Territories, and is an effort to ensure equitable funding.

Read the full story at Samoa News

ISSF Report Shows Many Tuna Stocks Not Meeting Criteria for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Sustainability Standard

January 25, 2019 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

Only five out of 19 major commercial tuna stocks are being managed to avoid overfishing and restore depleted fish populations — and have earned a passing score for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Principle 1 — according to independent scientists in a report published by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF).

ISSF 2019-02: An Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria attributes this failure to poor stock status, the lack of well-defined harvest control rules (HCRs), and the lack of effective tools to control harvest. Only three of the stocks have well-defined harvest control rules from Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), which continue progressing slowly in this area.

The January 2018 version of the report had found that six out of 19 stocks were being managed to avoid overfishing, meaning the situation has not improved in the last year. While South Pacific albacore Principle 1 score has improved thanks to further progress by WCPFC on this stock’s harvest strategy workplan, two other stocks have seen their overall Principle 1 scores worsen: eastern Pacific bigeye due mostly to uncertainties in its latest stock assessment, and Atlantic yellowfin tuna due to weak tools in place to control exploitation that may be hindering its rebuilding plan.

About the Report

An Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks takes a consistent, comprehensive approach to scoring tuna stocks against certain components of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard. The MSC is a global certification program for fisheries.

The report — updated four times since first published in 2013, and organized by individual tuna stock and tuna RFMO — is designed to:

  • Provide a basis for comparing between stock scores and tuna RFMO scores as assessed by the same experts.
  • Become a useful source document for future tuna certifications or in the establishment of tuna Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs).
  • Prioritize ISSF projects and advocacy efforts against initiatives that will improve low performance indicator scores.

The scores in the report focus on stock status (MSC Principle 1) and the international management aspects relevant to RFMOs (part of MSC Principle 3) and are based on publicly available fishery and RFMO data. Each of these Principles is evaluated in relationship to Performance Indicators (PIs) within each Principle. The Evaluation report also includes detailed remarks on each stock, evaluations of the four RFMOs, and comprehensive reference citations.

The report does not address bluefin tuna stocks.​

MSC Principle 1

The MSC Principle 1 states: “A fishery must operate in a manner that does not lead to overfishing or depletion of the exploited populations and, for those populations that are depleted, the fishery must be conducted in a manner that demonstrably leads to their recovery.”

Regarding stocks receiving passing scores:

  • Among seven tuna stocks in the Atlantic Ocean, one received an overall principle-level passing score: Northern albacore.
  • Among eight tuna stocks in the Pacific Ocean, three received overall principle-level passing scores: Western skipjack, Eastern yellowfin and Southern albacore.
  • Among four stocks in the Indian Ocean, one received an overall principle-level passing score: skipjack.

Regarding stocks receiving failing scores:

  • In the Pacific, five stocks received overall principle-level failing scores: Western yellowfin, Northern albacore, Eastern bigeye, Eastern skipjack and Western bigeye.
  • In the Indian Ocean, yellowfin, bigeye and albacore all received overall principle-level failing scores.
  • In the Atlantic, yellowfin, bigeye, Western skipjack, Eastern skipjack, Southern albacore and Mediterranean albacore all received principle-level failing scores.
  • Stocks that require rebuilding include Atlantic yellowfin, Atlantic bigeye and Indian Ocean yellowfin.

See a graphic showing MSC Principle 1 averages from February 2013-January 2019.

MSC Principle 3

The MSC Principle 3 states: “The fishery is subject to an effective management system that respects local, national and international laws and standards and incorporates institutional and operational frameworks that require use of the resource to be responsible and sustainable.”

  • One RFMO —IATTC — received passing scores for all seven performance indicators under Principle 3.
  • All four RFMOs received overall principle-level passing scores from the authors.

See a graphic showing MSC Principle 3 averages from December 2013-January 2019.

While the report focuses on tuna stock status and sustainability as well as on RFMO policies, it does not address national or bilateral fishing jurisdictions, gear- or fleet-specific ecosystem impacts, or specific fisheries’ ecosystems — all of which are also considered within the MSC assessment methodology.

Since 2011, ISSF has been an active stakeholder in MSC tuna fishery assessments and certifications. ISSF’s strategic objective is to develop and implement verifiable, science-based practices, commitments and international management measures to help all tuna fisheries become capable of meeting the MSC certification standard without conditions.

Commerce Department Announces Appointments to 3 Regional Fishery Management Councils

October 18, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA:

The U.S. Commerce Department today announced the reappointment of one and appointment of two new members to three regional fishery management councils. The new members will fill at-large seats that were recently vacated on the Western Pacific and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. These seats became vacant in July 2018. The new members will serve through August 10, 2020. For the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the tribal member will fill an obligatory seat that was made vacant after the expiration of the term on August 11, 2018. The reappointed member will serve through August 10, 2021.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act established the councils as stewards of the nation’s fisheries resources through the preparation of fishery management plans for their regions. NOAA Fisheries works closely with the councils through this process and then reviews, approves, and implements the plans. Council members represent diverse groups, including commercial and recreational fishing industries, environmental organizations and academia. They are vital to fulfilling the Act’s requirements to end overfishing, rebuild fish stocks, and manage them sustainably.

The Secretary selects members from nominations submitted by the governors of fishing states, territories, and tribal governments. Council members are appointed to both obligatory (state-specific) and at-large (regional) seats. Council members may be reappointed to serve three consecutive terms.

*Asterisks preceding a member’s name indicate a reappointment.
South Atlantic Council

The South Atlantic Council includes members from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The appointee will a vacant at-large seat.

At-Large seat:

Joseph D. Whitaker (South Carolina)

Pacific Council

The Pacific Council includes members from California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The Pacific Council also includes one Tribal seat. The appointee will fill a vacant Tribal seat.

Obligatory seat:

Joseph Y. Oatman* (Tribal)

Western Pacific Council

The Western Pacific Council includes members from American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The appointee will fill a vacant at-large seat.

At-Large seat:

Frederick McGrew Rice (Hawaii)

Read the full release here

NOAA Announces Out of Cycle Fisheries Council Appointments

October 17, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries announced the appointment of three new members to the South Atlantic (SAFMC), Western Pacific (WPFMC) and Pacific (PFMC) regional fishery management councils that partner with NOAA Fisheries to manage ocean fish stocks. The newly appointed members on the WPFMC and SAFMC are filling at-large seats made vacant this July, and these members will serve through August 10, 2020. The other appointed member is filling the vacant Tribal seat on the PFMC. That member will serve until August 10, 2021.

View the list of of appointees here.

 

Sylvia Spalding: Congressman Was Wrong About Lobbying

October 10, 2017 — The Honolulu Civil Beat article “Congressman Blasts Fishery Council for ‘Improper Lobbying’” by Kirstin Downey repeats unsubstantiated and serious allegations of Congressman Gregorio Sablan (D-CNMI). These allegations could have been clarified through review of the procedures and regulations of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, which are publicly available.

Green sea turtle petition: After considering the improved abundance and distribution information on Hawaii green sea turtles, the Council voted to direct Council staff to assist in the preparation of a request to the National Marine Fisheries Service to classify the population as a Distinct Population Segment as a step toward potential delisting.

The Council routinely makes conservation and management recommendations related to fisheries stocks, protected species and marine ecosystems, as authorized by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA).

Read this full opinion piece at the Honolulu Civil Beat

Feds to Analyze Environmental Impacts of Western Pacific Longline Fisheries for Bigeye and Tuna

February 17, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — HONOLULU — The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced on Monday that it will prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) on the U.S. Pacific Island deep-set tuna longline fisheries, which target bigeye tuna.

The PEIS will analyze the environmental impacts of management of deep-set tuna longliners, which operate out of Hawaii, American Samoa, and the U.S. West Coast. The need for the proposed action is to manage deep-set tuna longline fisheries under an adaptive management framework that allows for timely management responses to changing environmental conditions, consistent with domestic and international conservation and management measures.

The PEIS will be developed in coordination with the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council based in Honolulu.

Tuna longline fisheries use two distinct gear types: shallow-set vessels target swordfish near the surface and deep-set vessels target tunas deeper than 100 meters.

The deep-set tuna longline fisheries have greater levels of vessel participation, fishing effort, catch, and revenue than the shallow-set fishery. NOAA Fisheries previously evaluated the effects of the shallow-set fishery, so it will not be included in this PEIS.

The primary deep-set tuna longline fisheries are the Hawaii and American Samoa longline fisheries. Access to the Hawaii longline fisheries is limited to 164 vessel permits, of which about 140 vessels are active. Of these active vessels, about 20 may also shallow-set during any given year. Most vessels in the Hawaii deep-set tuna longline fleet homeport in Hawaii and about 10 operate from ports on the U.S. west coast. These vessels target bigeye tuna.

Access to the American Samoa deep-set tuna fishery is limited to 60 permits. Historically, a few deep-set tuna longline vessels operated out of Guam and the CNMI, but these fisheries have been inactive since 2011.

“The PEIS is a proactive step in the management of deep-set tuna longline fisheries,” said Council Executive Director Kitty M. Simonds. “It streamlines environmental review for future management decisions and facilitates the ability of fisheries to adaptively respond to changing conditions.”

Management tools used for deep-set tuna longline fisheries include limited assess programs, vessel size limits, area constraints, observers, satellite-based vessel monitoring systems, gear configuration and specific handling and releasing bycatch methods.

Potential management issues include territorial bigeye tuna specifications and transfers, changes to permitting programs, and new gear requirements to further reduce bycatch.

Potential environmental, social and economic issues include the catch of target tuna and non-target (such as sharks) species, interactions with protected species, gear conflicts, and impacts on the ecosystem.

Public comments may be made at the scoping meetings listed below, sent electronically via the agency, or by mail to Michael D. Tosatto, Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.

Public scoping meetings on the PEIS will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 21 in Hilo and Feb. 23 in Honolulu, Hawaii; Feb. 28 in Utulei, March 1 in Tafuna and March 2 in Pago Pago, American Samoa; March 7 in Susupe, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI); and March 9 in Mangilao, Guam.

All comments must be received by April 14, 2017.

This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Why U.S. Fisheries Are A Global Model Of Sustainability

May 5, 2016 — In the 40 years since passage of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, we’ve been on a journey that has made U.S. fisheries management a global model of sustainability. In the Pacific Islands, we see the wisdom of this act on our dinner plates and in our local fisheries every day.

In our region, much credit goes to the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, which is responsible for recommending conservation and management measures to NOAA Fisheries in the Pacific Islands. Comprised of commercial and non-commercial fishermen, and environmental, academic and government interests, the council has a proud track record of achieving its goal of sustainable fisheries.

Within the Councils’ expansive jurisdiction – extending from the Hawaiian Islands through the Western Pacific including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam – only a small number of stocks are subject to overfishing or overfished.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat