Press Releases
Press Release – Western Pacific Council Challenged by NOAA Prohibition on Commercial Fishing for Proposed Pacific Remote Islands Sanctuary (3 July 2023)
HONOLULU (3 July 2023) Congresswoman Amata Radewagen from American Samoa expressed her deep concern regarding the lack of consultation with the U.S. territories affected by the NOAA proposed sanctuary in the Pacific Remote Islands. In a video message during the...
Press Release: American Samoa Governor Stresses Importance of Fisheries and Respect to the US Territory (28 June 2023)
UTULEI, AMERICAN SAMOA (28 June 2023) “You must be mindful of the decisions you make…so that the interests of small fishing communities are not disregarded” was the main message heard in the remarks of the Honorable Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga, who opened the 195th...
Press Release – Council Science Advisors Recommend Peer Review for NOAA False Killer Whale Population Assessment, Approve Bottomfish Stock Assessment to Set Catch Limits (16 June 2023)
HONOLULU (16 June 2023) This week the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) discussed a NOAA assessment to quantify the population of pelagic false killer whales (FKWs) both inside and outside the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Hawai‘i to...
US Pacific Territories Fishery Capacity-Building Scholarship Applications
UPDATE: The application period for Council’s US Pacific Territories Fishery Capacity-Building Scholarship has been extended until funds are no longer available. HONOLULU (19 June 2024) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and its Education Committee...
Press Release: Western Pacific Scientists to Discuss New Regional Analyses for Bottomfish, Kona Crab and False Killer Whales Next Week (9 June 2023)
HONOLULU (9 June 2023) Scientific advisors to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will meet June 14-16, 2023, to provide advice and comments on U.S. Pacific Territory bottomfish stocks, Kona crab fishery and false killer whale (FKW) assessments in...
Press Release – Fishery Management Council Recommends NOAA Support Local Communities in Hawai‘i (18 April 2023)
HONOLULU (18 April 2023) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council continues its efforts to persuade NOAA officials to allow Native Hawaiian fishing to recover costs related to their permitted fishing in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). The...
Press Release: Issues of Fairness, Equity and Respect Dominate Fishery Management Council Meeting (4 April 2023)
HONOLULU (4 April 2023) Last week, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s completed its 194th meeting in the Mariana Islands. In Guam, the meeting began with a cultural blessing ceremony led by Para I Prubechu’n I Taotao’ta. The members called on...
Press Release – CNMI Governor Palacios Urges President Biden to Respect Pacific Island Communities at Fishery Management Council Meeting (28 March 2023)
SAIPAN (28 March 2023) CNMI Governor Arnold Palacios opened the 194th meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council yesterday expressing his views on President Biden’s direction to the NOAA secretary of commerce to consider designating a national...
Press Release – ESA-listed Species Not at Risk of Extinction From Hawai‘i and American Samoa Longline Fishery Interactions (17 March 2023)
HONOLULU (17 March 2023) The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) discussed the draft National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) biological opinions (BiOps) released last week for the Hawai‘i deep-set longline and American Samoa longline fisheries. The...
Press Release: Science Advisors Weigh In on Cost Recovery in NWHI Fishing Trips (14 March 2023)
HONOLULU (14 March 2023) The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) today reviewed cost recovery options for permitted fishing in the Monument Expansion Area (MEA) of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center...