News + Announcements
Press Release – Existing Fishing Rules Sufficient for Proposed PRI Sanctuary Says Western Pacific Council (13 December 2023)
HONOLULU (13 December 2023) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council yesterday emphasized its solid position on fishing regulations in the proposed Pacific Remote Islands (PRI) National Marine Sanctuary. The Council determined the existing fishing...
Press Release – WCPFC Increases US Bigeye Tuna Catch Limit, Although US Fails to Secure Benefits for Pacific Territories (11 December 2023)
RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS (11 December 2023) The 20th Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting convened in the Cook Islands concluded past 3:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. The meeting was an overall success with a revised tropical...
Fall 2023 Pacific Islands Fishery News
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Press Release – WP Council to Address Final Fishing Regulation Recommendations for Proposed US PRI Sanctuary (07 December 2023)
HONOLULU (07 December 2023) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will meet next week to discuss its final recommendations for fishing regulations in the proposed Pacific Remote Islands National Marine Sanctuary (PRINMS). At its last meeting in...
Press Release – Scientists Caution Against Unintended Repercussions of Unnecessary US Pacific Remote Islands Fishing Regulations (29 November 2023)
HONOLULU (29 November 2023) Science advisors to the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council expressed deep concerns at their meeting this week about the potential negative unintended consequences of adding more fishing limits in the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands...
Press Release – PRI Sanctuary, HI Uku EFH and Bigeye Tuna Management on Agenda for Scientists at Next Meeting (22 November 2023)
HONOLULU (22 November 2023) Scientific advisors to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will meet Nov. 28-29, 2023, to provide advice and comments on the proposed Pacific Remote Islands (PRI) sanctuary, uku essential fish habitat (EFH) revision for...
Press Release – “Killing US fishing interests and the American Samoa economy is morally wrong and unconstitutional” (23 October 2023)
— Western Pacific Council Chair Sword makes impassioned plea for assistance on proposed PRI national marine sanctuary at national meeting of the regional fishery management councils HONOLULU (23 October 2023) “We cannot survive the current policies and actions by the...
Press Release – NMFS Proposes Improved Seabird Conservation Measures Based on Western Pacific Council Recommendation (17 October 2023)
HONOLULU (17 October 2023) Today the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published a proposed rule to modify seabird mitigation measures for the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery managed under the Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan of the Western Pacific...
Proposed Changes to Seabird Measures for Hawaiʻi Deep-Set Longline Fishery (Comments due by November 16, 2023)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to modify seabird interaction mitigation measures to require federally permitted...
Press Release – Tropical Tuna Workshops Lead to Progress in Developing Favorable Management Measure for U.S. Pacific Island Fisheries (9 October 2023)
HONOLULU (9 October 2023) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority convened an informal meeting last week to discuss longline fishery management components of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries...