May 13, 2021 — Taiwan’s lucrative fishing industry has come under fire for subjecting its migrant workforce to forced labour and other abuses, contrasting with the government’s promotion of the democratic island as a regional human rights beacon.
HAWAII: Marine debris research team fishes for clues in tons of ‘ghost nets’
May 10, 2021 — In an open-air structure called the “Net Shed” a team from Hawaii Pacific University’s Center for Marine Debris Research picks through a tangled mess of fishing nets.
They’re surrounded by mounds of twisted twine.
“It’s about five tons inside the ‘Net Shed’ and probably three tons outside, waiting for analysis,” said Jennifer Lynch, co-director of HPU’s marine debris program.
She’s heading up the effort to untangle the nets, cut and measure pieces, and look for clues.
“Lengths and widths and twine diameter, twin twists, knotted versus knot-less nets. You name it. We’re documenting what these pieces are,” she said.
The netting came from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. HPU partnered with Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project to bring it back last month.
“We brought back just under 95,000 pounds of plastics in total. And of that 80,000 pounds were specifically ghost nets,” said Drew McWhirter, who’s working on the project for his master’s degree in HPU’s Marine Science Program.
Study finds Pacific island nations’ livelihood in peril as marine life moves away from tropics
May 7, 2021 — In response to climate change, several marine species are moving away from the equator – something that could jeopardize livelihoods on Pacific island nations that depend on tuna fishing revenue.
According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), multiple species studied showed that marine biodiversity on a “global scale” has been responding to the warming climate.
Hawaiian Monk Seals Join the Animal Telemetry Network
May 6, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
For more than two decades, NOAA has been tracking monk seals throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago as part of their larger effort to study and protect this endangered seal. And now you can see all of those tracks online! We have shared our entire archive of satellite telemetry locations through the Animal Telemetry Network. The public can view maps of seal travels and access data using this web portal. NOAA’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program is looking forward to the collaborative research opportunities this opens up.
Hawaiian Monk Seals Tracked for Many Purposes
- Research projects include learning about seal space use, travel distances, energy expenditure, habitat use, and foraging behaviors
- Monitoring efforts include tracking seal survival and movement patterns after an intervention such as a veterinary surgery or rehabilitation
- Management concerns include seals that may be translocated to avoid human-seal interactions or moved out of dangerous habitats
Studying how these animals use their environment is a crucial part of NOAA’s larger effort to understand the ecology of Hawaiian monk seals, identify and mitigate threats to survival, and work toward the recovery of this endangered species.
Fatima Sauafea-Le’au, Fisheries Biologist
May 4, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
What is your key responsibility?
I am a fisheries biologist based in Pago Pago, American Samoa. One of my primary roles is to serve as a fisheries liaison for coral reef management. I provide support and assistance to the American Samoa resource management partners and local communities on coral reef management projects. I conduct reviews and provide conservation recommendations for Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultations on development projects in American Samoa to minimize, avoid, and/or mitigate any adverse effects to EFH.
What is Essential Fish Habitat?
Where did you grow up?
I am a Samoan, born and raised in American Samoa. I grew up in a small village called Aua on Tutuila Island in a family that values culture, church, and family.
What is your educational background?
I earned a B.S. degree in biology from Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawai‘i and an M.S. degree in Environmental Policy and Management from the University of Denver.
Are you a member of any organizations within your community?
I am an active member of a few organizations within my Catholic church, Maria Fatima Parish, in Aua, Tutuila. These organizations include the St. Gregory Choir, Women’s Organization, Youth Group, and Sunday School Teachers Organization. I am a volunteer science mentor for the Marist St. Francis Elementary School, assisting regularly with student science fair projects. I am also the Treasurer for the Marist St. Francis Elementary School Parents and Teachers Association.
What book influenced you to be the person that you are today?
Thrive by Arianna Huffington. People often think that you are a successful person when you have a bigger salary and office space. However, this book shows how success is not only defined by money and power but the importance of being mindful, having self-awareness, taking care of yourself, and being generous to others. The book defines these thriving elements in the areas of well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving. I am using these elements to help me in my journey to success.
What advice would you have for today’s youth interested in a federal government career?
Believe in yourself and never let fear limit you from applying for a career opportunity in the federal government. Do your research on federal career opportunities and work towards obtaining the required skills and experiences for the opportunity relevant to your interest. Obtain a college degree and seek internship opportunities within the federal offices that you are interested in.
Thai Union joins Ocean Disclosure Project
May 4, 2021 — Thai Union has announced its participation in the Ocean Disclosure Project, a global initiative where seafood businesses publicly share details on the sourcing of their seafood.
In a statement, Thai Union said its involvement is part of its efforts to realize its global sustainability strategy, SeaChange, as well as traceability and transparency commitments in its business operations.
How small-scale seafood supply chains adapt to COVID-19 disruptions
May 3, 2021 — In February 2020, Rio (not his real name), a crab and sea snail processor in Langkat regency on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, found his business drying up. Normally at this time of year his business would have been booming from seafood exports to China and Hong Kong for the Lunar New Year festival.
Like many others in small-scale seafood supply chains across the world, Rio was feeling the impacts of COVID-19.
In the early months of the pandemic, community lockdowns and public health risks combined with restrictions on worker movement and seafood trade forced small-scale fishing communities in several parts of the world to close down their businesses. They were left in a state of economic and social uncertainty.
Some small, local seafood vendors, like Indonesian pedagang along-along who sell fish, vegetables and other perishable foods from motorbikes, adapted. They were able to continue selling seafood despite the pandemic.
How did they cope? What helped or hindered others in small-scale seafood supply chains as they dealt with uncertainties generated by COVID-19?
Using Sound as a Tool to Help Count Snappers in Hawai‘i and Prevent Overfishing
April 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Snappers are economically important species for fisheries worldwide. To determine the health of snapper populations, we must monitor their abundance and record any changes in their biomass. NOAA scientists conducted a study to test new, more efficient and accurate methods to regularly monitor snapper in the Hawaii bottomfish fishing grounds. The results of this study were recently published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science.
Snappers are abundant in nearshore, 100–400-meter deep subtropical and tropical oceans with rocky, uneven bottoms that have steep slopes. They typically occupy areas near the ocean floor but are also found further in the water column and within crevices or under outcrops.
Modern research methods limit accurate and efficient abundance estimations for these species. Trawl sampling is not feasible as the highly uneven, rocky bottom would damage the net and the fragile habitat itself could be disturbed. More recent underwater video observations are limited by light and field-of-view distance. Placing video cameras in the water can also scare away or attract fish, skewing the results.
Key U.S. Pacific Fishery Council Takes Vital Step to Protect Oceanic Whitetip Sharks
April 27, 2021 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac) took a major step forward at its March meeting by recommending the prohibition of wire leaders on the Hawaii deep-set longline tuna fishery in the western Pacific Ocean. Wire leaders, also known as steel trace, are used by vessels fishing for bigeye tuna, but when sharks are accidentally caught on the line, they are unable to free themselves and frequently die as bycatch. This is a problem for the oceanic whitetip shark, which is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A switch to nylon, or monofilament, leaders, which are easier for sharks to bite through, would reduce mortality and help give this shark population a chance to recover.
In addition, the council recommended the development of a requirement to remove as much fishing line, or trailing gear, from an accidentally caught shark as possible—that is, to cut the line as close to the shark as possible before release. That would further protect sharks once freed from a longline. Council staff estimated that these two requirements would reduce mortality by 17% to 36%.
It’s now critical that the council finalize these much-needed decisions at its June meeting and that federal fishery managers implement them. The recommendations have wide support—including from the Hawaii Longline Association, which announced that its member fishing vessels would voluntarily ban wire leaders months before the council recommendation.
Pandemic accelerates major shifts in China’s seafood marketplace
April 27, 2021 — Long a proponent of sourcing more seafood from overseas, China’s central government has shifted its strategy in response to pressures related to COVID-19.
China continues to encourage seafood imports, which have long been seen as a means of dampening consumer price inflation. Recently, China reduced the tariff on frozen cod from 7 percent to 2 percent, while duties on ribbonfish, frozen crab, and frozen small shrimp were also reduced from 7 percent to 5 percent. The rate on live or fresh abalone imports dropped from 10 percent to 7 percent. The biggest cut was for “fertilized fish eggs,” which went from 12 to zero percent. Chinese import taxes for most seafood range from 5 percent to 7 percent, while VAT is charged at 9 percent.
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