News + Announcements
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...
FR Notice: Marine Conservation Plan for Pacific Insular Areas other Than American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands (May 26, 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 Pacific Insular Areas other than American...
Kaua‘i Small Boat Fishery Diversification Project Report now available (May 23, 2023)
Molly Lutcavage and Clayward Tam, Pacific Islands Fisheries Group, recently completed a Kaua‘i Small Boat Fishery Diversification Project sponsored by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The objective of the project was to identify and evaluate a range of possible...
Request for Comments: MSA National Standard 4, 8, and 9 Guidelines (due September 12, 2023)
AGENCY:National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR); request for comments. SUMMARY: NMFS is publishing this ANPR to alert the public of potential future...