Press Releases
Press Release – US Pacific Fishery Managers Recommend Quota for American Samoa Bottomfish (19 October 2021)
HONOLULU (19 October 2021) Today, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implement a 5,000-pound annual catch limit (ACL) for the American Samoa bottomfish stock complex. According to a 2019...
Press Release – Federal Fishery Managers to Choose Alternative for American Samoa Bottomfish Rebuilding Plan (14 October 2021)
HONOLULU (14 October 2021) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will meet virtually Oct. 19, 2021, and take final action on the American Samoa Bottomfish Rebuilding Plan. The agenda, background documents and instructions for connecting to the...
Press Release – US Pacific Fishery Managers Set Uku Catch Limits in Hawai‘i, Support Exploring Cultural Take of Green Sea Turtles (23 September 2021)
HONOLULU (23 September 2021) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implement a 291,010-pound annual catch target for uku in the main Hawaiian Islands. This would include an in-season...
Press Release – Western Pacific Fishery Managers Recommend Improved Seabird Conservation Measures (22 September 2021)
HONOLULU (22 September 2021) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended modifications to a regulatory amendment as an initial action to improve seabird conservation in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery. A recent tori line study showed...
Press Release – US Pacific Fishery Managers Support Climate Change Research to Inform Management Decisions (21 September 2021)
HONOLULU (21 September 2021) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council voted today to approve several plans aimed at improving research and data in the region. The Council’s work relies on robust scientific information for its fishery management...
Press Release – Pacific Fishery Scientists Recommend Ways to Better Manage False Killer Whale Impacts (17 September 2021)
HONOLULU (17 September 2021) The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council adopted recommendations to improve the management of impacts to false killer whales (FKWs) in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery....
Press Release – Scientists to Evaluate Impacts of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Expansion (15 September 2021)
HONOLULU (15 September 2021) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) suggested developing a working group to evaluate the impacts of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) expansion on...
Press Release – Pacific Scientists Support Streamer Lines to Reduce Albatross Interactions with Tuna Fishery (14 September 2021)
HONOLULU (14 September 2021) The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council strongly supported a study that found tori lines are far more effective than blue-dyed fish bait for seabird bycatch mitigation....
Press Release – Western Pacific Fishery Council Advisors to Evaluate Seabird Conservation Measures (09 Sept. 2021)
HONOLULU (09 September 2021) Scientists will meet Sept. 14 to 16, 2021, to provide advice and comments to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council on domestic seabird conservation measures, Hawai‘i area-based management efforts, proposed changes to the...
Press Release – Modernizing Catch Reporting in Hawaii and American Samoa Longline Fisheries ( 10 August 2021)
HONOLULU (10 August 2021) The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced last week that the requirement for the Hawai‘i and American Samoa pelagic longline fisheries to electronically report their catch will be effective Sept. 7, 2021. This regulation is...