Press Releases
Press Release – Western Pacific Scientists Recommend International Actions to End Overfishing for Striped Marlin (18 March 2021)
HONOLULU (18 March 2021) The SSC suggested several actions to end overfishing of North Pacific striped marlin in order to satisfy the Magnuson-Stevens Act (Section 304(i)) obligation both internationally via the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)...
Press Release – U.S. Pacific Federal Managers Set Annual Catch Limit to Rebuild Overfished Guam Bottomfish Stock (04 December 2020)
HONOLULU (04 December 2020) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council voted to adopt a bottomfish annual catch limit (ACL) of 31,000 pounds starting in fishing year 2023 to rebuild the overfished bottomfish stock in Guam. The limit corresponds to a...
Press Release – Western Pacific Council Supports Hawaiʻi Industry Request to Test Bird Scaring Lines as Seabird Interaction Mitigation Measure (03 December 2020)
HONOLULU (03 December 2020) The Hawaii Longline Association has requested an experimental fishing permit for the deep-set longline fishery to test tori line efficacy without the use of blue-dyed bait when fishing north of 23° N. The Western Pacific Regional Fishery...
Press Release – U.S. Pacific Fishery Managers Urge Increase in U.S. Bigeye Tuna Quota at Upcoming Multilateral Meeting, Support New Industry-Backed Shark Conservation Measures (03 December 2020)
HONOLULU (03 December 2020) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council supported the U.S. proposal to revise the conservation and management measure for tropical tunas, which expires in February 2021, and increase the U.S. bigeye tuna quota by 3,000...
Press Release – Scientists Set Acceptable Biological Catch for American Samoa Bottomfish, Recommend Rebuilding Plans for American Samoa and Guam Bottomfish (01 December 2020)
HONOLULU (01 December 2020) The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council concluded its two-day virtual meeting today. Key outcomes addressed the American Samoa and Guam bottomfish fisheries and measures to...
Press Release – Scientists Recommend Improved Mitigation Measures for Protected Species (30 November 2020)
HONOLULU (30 November 2020) Scientists overwhelmingly supported a proposal from the Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) to voluntarily switch to monofilament leaders to promote protected species conservation. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western...
Press Release – New Publication Showcases History of U.S. Pacific Billfish Fisheries and Their Management (30 November 2020)
HONOLULU (30 November 2020) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has released the second of seven new issues in its historical Pacific Islands Fishery Monographs series. Each monograph looks at some of the most important federal fisheries and...
Press Release – Scientists to Set Acceptable Biological Catch for American Samoa Bottomfish and Consider Rebuilding Plan Options (24 November 2020)
HONOLULU (24 November 2020) Scientists from throughout the Pacific will meet Nov. 30 to Dec. 1, 2020, to discuss fishery management issues and make management recommendations for fisheries in the Western Pacific Region. The meeting of the Scientific and Statistical...
Press Release – WPRFMC Spotlights the History of Hawai‘i Lobster Fishery in Latest Publication (10 November 2020)
HONOLULU (10 November 2020) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has published the first of seven new issues in its historical Pacific Islands Fishery Monographs series. Taking a deep look into the history and current state of some of Hawai‘i’s most...
Press Release – Community Stakeholders Discuss Issues Key to Sustainable Fisheries (5 November 2020)
HONOLULU (5 November 2020) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recently convened three virtual meetings in its continued efforts to support regional and local fishing and seafood communities. The meetings highlight the Council’s emphasis on...