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Press Release – Scientists Weigh-In on Management of US Pacific Island Fisheries
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HONOLULU (16 October 2017) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) concluded its three-day meeting Thursday in Lihue, Kauai, with a suite of recommendations on managing fisheries in Hawai‘i, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the US Pacific Remote Islands Areas. The Council will consider the recommendations from the SSC and its other advisory bodies at its 171st meeting to be held Oct. 17-19 in Utulei, American Samoa. The SSC recommendations on the major agenda items are as follows:
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FR Notice – 2017 U.S. Territorial Longline Bigeye Tuna Catch Limits
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AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final specifications.
SUMMARY: In this final rule, NMFS specifies a 2017 limit of 2,000 mt of longline-caught bigeye tuna for each U.S. participating territory (American Samoa, Guam, and the NorthernMariana Islands). NMFS will allow each territory to allocate up to 1,000 mt each year to U.S. longline fishing vessels in a valid specified fishing agreement. As an accountability measure, NMFS will monitor, attribute, and restrict (if necessary), catches of longline-caught bigeye tuna, including catches made under a specified fishing agreement. These catch limits and accountability measures support the long-term sustainability of fishery resources of the U.S. Pacific Islands and fisheries development in the U.S. territories.
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FR notice – List of Fisheries for 2018
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AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes its proposed List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2018, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The LOF for 2018 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NMFS must classify each commercial fishery on the LOF into one of three categories under the MMPA based upon the level of mortality and serious injury of marine mammals that occurs incidental to each fishery. The classification of a fishery on the LOF determines whether participants in that fishery are subject to certain provisions of the MMPA, such as registration, observer coverage, and take reduction plan (TRP) requirements.
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127th Scientific and Statistical Committee Meeting
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Date: October 10-12, 2017
Location: Aqua Kauai Beach Hotel, Lihue, HI
⇓⇓⇓Click read more to see available meeting documents⇓⇓⇓
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Press Release – Scientists to Advise on Management of US Pacific Island Fisheries
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HONOLULU (6 October 2017) Renowned scientists from throughout the Pacific will convene in Lihue, Kauai, from Oct. 10 to 12 to provide recommendations on managing fisheries in Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the US Pacific Remote Islands Areas. The meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) is open to the public and runs 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Aqua Beach Hotel, 4331 Kauai Beach Dr.
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The American Samoa longline fleet, which supplies the local tuna cannery, has confronted years of economic hardship. Consideration will be given to alleviate the problem by opening up portions of the Large Vessel Prohibited Area. Photo by Sylvia Spalding |
The Council will consider the recommendations from the SSC and its other advisory bodies at its 171st meeting to be held Oct. 17-19in Utulei, American Samoa. The major agenda items include the following:
American Samoa Large Vessel Prohibited Area (LVPA) options: Consideration will be given to an exemption that would allow US-flag longline vessels over 50 feet in length to fish within portions of the LVPA and that takes into account the needs of cultural fishing practices.
Hawaii Climate and Fisheries Training
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Date: September 28, 2017 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Council Office, Honolulu, HI
Agenda
Social Science Planning Committee
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Date: Sept. 26-27, 2017 Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Council Office
2018-2019 US Pacific Territories Fishery Capacity-Building Scholarship Announcement (Application due by Feb. 28, 2018)
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The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and its Education Committee members are pleased to announce the availability of up to three scholarships for academic year 2018-2019. These scholarships support the aspiration of American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to build their capacity to effectively manage their fisheries and related resources through employment of their own people.
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