Hawaii Archipelago

The draft Hawaii Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) was developed by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and represents the first step in an incremental and collaborative approach to implement ecosystem approaches to fishery management in the Hawaii Archipelago. The Hawaii Archipelago FEP incorporates all of the management provisions of four existing fishery management plans (FMPs)—the Bottomfish and Seamount Groundfish FMP, the Crustaceans FMP, the Precious Corals FMP and the Coral Reef Ecosystems FMP—that are applicable to the Hawaii Archipelago. Although pelagic fishery resources play an important role in the biological as well as the socioeconomic environment of the Hawaiian Islands, they will be managed separately through the Pacific Pelagic FEP.