News + Announcements
Proposed Rule: Discontinue Rebuilding Plan for American Samoa Bottomfish and Implement Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures for Fishing Years 2024–2026
NMFS proposes to amend the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the American Samoa Archipelago (FEP) to discontinue the rebuilding plan for American Samoa bottomfish and to implement single-species annual catch limits (ACL) and accountability measures (AM) for bottomfish in the...
Federal Register Notice: Protective Regulations for the Oceanic Whitetip Shark Public Hearings
NMFS will hold two public hearings related to the proposed rule to apply protective regulations to the oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Public hearings on the proposed protective regulations for the oceanic...
Federal Register Notice: Changes to Bigeye Tuna Catch Limits in Longline Fisheries
NMFS seeks comments on this interim final rule issued under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act) that implements a recent decision of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of...
Federal Register Notice: Final Rule for CNMI Bottomfish ACL and AM for 2024-2025
This final rule implements an annual catch limit (ACL) and annual catch target (ACT) for bottomfish in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) for fishing years 2024 and 2025. This rule does not revise, add, or remove the most recent current...
Federal Register Notice: NMFS to Discontinue Rebuilding plan for American Samoa Bottomfish and Implement ACL and AMs for Fishing Years 2024-2026
NMFS announces that the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) proposes to amend the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the American Samoa Archipelago (FEP). If approved, the FEP would be amended to discontinue the rebuilding plan for American Samoa bottomfish...
Public Hearings for NMFS Proposed Rule on Oceanic Whitetip Shark Take Prohibitions
NMFS will hold two public hearings on the proposed protective regulations for the oceanic whitetip shark. NMFS has scheduled the hearings in response to a request to allow fishing communities in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern...
Council letter to John Armor, NOAA ONMS providing Council fishing regulations on the Proposed Designation of a National Marine Sanctuary for the PRIAs (December 13, 2023)
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council's response to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries request for fishing regulations for the proposed National Marine Sanctuary in the Pacific Remote Islands under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act Section...
Press Release – Federal Consultation with Governors of US Territories Lacking (26 June 2024)
HONOLULU (26 June 2024) Western Pacific Regional Fishery Mangement Council members expressed dismay with the continued problem of the lack of federal government consultation with territorial governments on Endangered Species Act (ESA) issues, including green sea...
Press Release – Council Reviews Annual Fishery Reports: Trends, Challenges and Future Plans in the Western Pacific (25 June 2024)
HONOLULU (25 June 2024) Council members reviewed detailed reports on the 2023 performance of federally managed fisheries in the Western Pacific region. This annual Stock Assessment and Fisheries Evaluation (SAFE) report consistently observed catch increases across a...
Press Release – Council Tackles Trade Barriers to US Tuna Fisheries at Meeting (25 June 2024)
HONOLULU (25 June 2024) This week, members of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council called attention to impediments to U.S. fisheries due to unfair trade practices by foreign fisheries. “Dumping” of cheaper, lower-quality fishery products into the...