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Electronic Monitoring in Longline Fleets

At its June 2025 meeting, the Council approved full implementation of electronic monitoring (EM) on all Hawai‘i and American Samoa tuna longline vessels. EM uses cameras and gear sensors to collect data on catch, bycatch, and protected species interactions, supplementing or replacing human observers.

This action aims to meet domestic and international monitoring requirements, including those under the ESA, MMPA, IATTC, and WCPFCIA. EM has been piloted in the region since 2009 and on 20 Hawai‘i vessels since 2017, proving effective for monitoring bycatch of sea turtles, seabirds, marine mammals, and ESA-listed species.

Starting in 2025, EM will be phased in on 50 Hawai‘i vessels per year through 2027, with American Samoa’s 10 vessels added in 2027. The Council recommended that NMFS continue to fund EM, which will partially replace at-sea monitoring by human observer coverage that historically covered about 20% of the deep-set longline trips targeting tunas in Hawaii and American Samoa and 100% of shallow-set trips targeting swordfish out of Hawaii. Funded by NMFS through 2027, EM offers a cost-effective way to enhance fishery monitoring while reducing reliance on human observers.

Fishing Regulations in the Pacific Remote Island Areas

On March 24, 2023, President Biden directed the Secretary of Commerce to consider initiating the designation process for a proposed national marine sanctuary in the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA). The proposed sanctuary would overlay and extend the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (rename Pacific Islands Heritage MNM). The Council determined the existing fishing regulations met the goals and objectives of the proposed sanctuary and recommended to NOAA that additional fishing regulations were not necessary. More regulations would not provide any additional conservation benefit and would add a layer of costly bureaucracy.

The Council’s regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Act established comprehensive protection since the 1980s and continues to provide long-lasting conservation and management for the PRIA fishery ecosystem, habitat and resources. Commercial pelagic fisheries in the PRIA are vital to the economy and culture of American Samoa, as well as other pelagic fisheries including the Hawai’i longline fishery.

The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) reviewed public comments submitted during the scoping period and developed a draft management plan, draft environmental impact statement, proposed regulations and proposed boundaries.  The review of the draft EIS and management plan was withdrawn in 2025.  The status of the proposed sanctuary is currently unknown.  For more information, see the ONMS website.

The Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument closed all waters from 0 to 200 nautical miles around Wake Atoll, Johnston Atoll and Jarvis Island, and 0 to 50 nm from Palmyra Atoll, Kingman Reef and Howland and Baker Islands. Commercial fishing was prohibited in those waters and non-commercial and recreational charter fishing are allowed with permits and reporting.  A Presidential Proclamation on April 17, 2025, reopened 50-200 nm offshore to commercial fishing in the monument around Wake, Johnston and Jarvis. For more information, visit the Marine Spatial Management page.