American Samoa Archipelago

The draft American Samoa 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 American Samoa Archipelago. The American Samoa 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 American Samoa Archipelago. Although pelagic fishery resources play an important role in the biological as well as the socioeconomic environment of the American Samoa Archipelago, they will be managed separately through the Pacific Pelagic FEP.