News + Announcements
Press Release – Western Pacific Council Challenged by NOAA Prohibition on Commercial Fishing for Proposed Pacific Remote Islands Sanctuary (3 July 2023)
HONOLULU (3 July 2023) Congresswoman Amata Radewagen from American Samoa expressed her deep concern regarding the lack of consultation with the U.S. territories affected by the NOAA proposed sanctuary in the Pacific Remote Islands. In a video message during the...
Request for Information: National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Due August 28, 2023)
AGENCY: Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). ACTION: Notice of request for information (RFI). SUMMARY: The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), on behalf of the interagency Ocean Policy Committee...
Press Release: American Samoa Governor Stresses Importance of Fisheries and Respect to the US Territory (28 June 2023)
UTULEI, AMERICAN SAMOA (28 June 2023) “You must be mindful of the decisions you make…so that the interests of small fishing communities are not disregarded” was the main message heard in the remarks of the Honorable Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga, who opened the 195th...
FR Notice: Marine Conservation Plan for the Pacific Insular Area for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (June 20, 2023)
AGENCY:National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION:Notice of agency decision. SUMMARY:NMFS announces approval of a Marine Conservation Plan (MCP) for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana...
Press Release – Council Science Advisors Recommend Peer Review for NOAA False Killer Whale Population Assessment, Approve Bottomfish Stock Assessment to Set Catch Limits (16 June 2023)
HONOLULU (16 June 2023) This week the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) discussed a NOAA assessment to quantify the population of pelagic false killer whales (FKWs) both inside and outside the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Hawai‘i to...
FR Notice: 2023 U.S. Territorial Longline Bigeye Tuna Catch Limits (June 15, 2023)
AGENCY:National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION:Final specifications. SUMMARY:NMFS specifies a 2023 limit of 2,000 metric tons (t) of longline-caught bigeye tuna for each U.S. Pacific territory...
US Pacific Territories Fishery Capacity-Building Scholarship Applications
UPDATE: The application period for Council’s US Pacific Territories Fishery Capacity-Building Scholarship has been extended until funds are no longer available. HONOLULU (19 June 2024) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and its Education Committee...
Press Release: Western Pacific Scientists to Discuss New Regional Analyses for Bottomfish, Kona Crab and False Killer Whales Next Week (9 June 2023)
HONOLULU (9 June 2023) Scientific advisors to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will meet June 14-16, 2023, to provide advice and comments on U.S. Pacific Territory bottomfish stocks, Kona crab fishery and false killer whale (FKW) assessments in...
Spring 2023 Pacific Island Fishery News
Click here for printable PDF. Newsletter articles listed in order 1 - Potential Economic and Political Fallout of Tuna Fishery Closures in Proposed PRIA Sanctuary 8 - WPRFMC Out in the Community 2 - 194th Council Meeting Highlights 9 - New Licensing System for...
Council letter to Nicole LeBoeuf, NOAA NOS providing comments on the Proposed Designation of a National Marine Sanctuary for the PRIAs (June 2, 2023)
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council's response to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Notice of Intent to Conduct Scoping and To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Designation of a National Marine Sanctuary for...