Federal fishery managers set series of weeklong meetings

[B]HONOLULU[/B]—The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee began a weeklong series of meetings yesterday, Oct. 17, on the management of federally managed fisheries in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the remote US Pacific Island areas.

The committee will meet daily until Oct. 19 at the Council office, 1164 Bishop St. Suite 1400, Honolulu. The committee’s recommendations and that of other Council advisory bodies will be reviewed by the Council’s Standing Committees on Oct. 19 at the Council office. The full Council will take action on the recommendations the afternoon of Oct. 19 through the morning of Oct. 22.

Recommendations by the Council are transmitted the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for final approval.
Among the key issues to be considered are the following:

* Annual Catch Limits (ACLs)
Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Council is required to specify ACLs for virtually all federally managed fisheries in the U.S. Pacific islands. Among the few exceptions are highly migratory species managed by an international regional fishery management organization. The Council will be making decisions on ACLs for coral reef finfish, non-finfish (e.g., crustaceans, deepwater precious corals, etc.) and bottomfish species, including non-Deep7 main Hawaiian Islands bottomfish (such as uku or grey snapper, ulua or trevally, etc.) based on the acceptable biological catch determined by the SSC.

* Non-Commercial Data Collection Options
The Council, at its June 2011 meeting, recommended developing alternatives to require federal permitting and reporting for all fisheries in Hawaii that currently do not have federal permits or reporting requirements. These regulations would affect recreational and other non-commercial fisheries targeting pelagic species and currently harvested coral reef fishery species. The Council will consider the following alternatives: 1) no action; 2) require federal permits and monthly logbooks for non-commercial coral reef fish and pelagic fish in the US exclusive economic zone waters around Hawaii; 3) require a single non-commercial federal permit and monthly logbooks for all non-commercial fisheries in the US EEZ around Hawaii; and 4) require a single federal permit for owners of vessels that conduct non-commercial fishing in the US EEZ around Hawaii and require catch reports on a per-trip basis.

* Hawaii Bottomfish and Seamount Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC)
The Council will consider revising the Hawaii bottomfish and seamount groundfish EFH and HAPC designations based on new scientific information, the findings of the Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR) and other reviewer recommendations. WPSAR scientists indicate that recommended HAPCs based largely on the State of Hawaii’s bottomfish restricted fishing areas (BRFAs) can be significantly reduced in number and size and still protect spawning and juvenile recruitment.

* Striped Marlin Catch Limits
The management measure for striped marlin adopted by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) required that total catches of North Pacific striped marlin in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) undergo a phased reduction (10 percent, 5 percent, and 5 percent) from 2011 to 2013 such that by Jan. 1, 2013, the catch is 80 percent of the levels caught in 2000 to 2003. The Council may make management recommendations for the U.S. striped marlin fishery.

* Community Development Program Proposal
The Council will consider an exemption requested under the CDP, as authorized by the Magnuson-Sevens Act, for an indigenous community to undertake traditional flag-line fishing using traditional longline basket gear for the purpose of training youth within the longline closed area around Hawaii.

* American Samoa Swordfish Fishery
In 2008, the Council took action to reduce the interactions between sea turtles and the American Samoa longline fishery targeting tuna by requiring longline hooks to be at least 100 m deep. This amendment, implemented in September 2011, effectively prohibits any shallow-set longline fishing for swordfish. The Council will consider establishing measures that would allow for an American Samoa shallow-set longline fishery and mitigate the potential for interactions with sea turtles and seabirds.

As part of the Council meeting, a free Fishers Forum will be open to fishermen and the general public on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 6pm to 9pm, at the Waikiki Aquarium. Informational booths, family activities and a public discussion will focus on a code of conduct for Hawaii ocean users. Fishermen, ocean users and other members of the public are invited to come share their thoughts and learn what others are doing to bring pono conduct back among Hawaii’s ocean users.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council was established by Congress to manage fisheries in offshore waters around Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the US Pacific remote island areas. For more information or the agendas, visit www.wpcouncil.org or email info.wpcouncil@noaa.gov; phone (808) 522-8220, or fax (808) 522-8226. [B][I](WESPAC)[/I][/B]