Press Releases
Press Release – CNMI Governor Palacios Urges President Biden to Respect Pacific Island Communities at Fishery Management Council Meeting (28 March 2023)
SAIPAN (28 March 2023) CNMI Governor Arnold Palacios opened the 194th meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council yesterday expressing his views on President Biden’s direction to the NOAA secretary of commerce to consider designating a national...
Press Release – ESA-listed Species Not at Risk of Extinction From Hawai‘i and American Samoa Longline Fishery Interactions (17 March 2023)
HONOLULU (17 March 2023) The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) discussed the draft National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) biological opinions (BiOps) released last week for the Hawai‘i deep-set longline and American Samoa longline fisheries. The...
Press Release: Science Advisors Weigh In on Cost Recovery in NWHI Fishing Trips (14 March 2023)
HONOLULU (14 March 2023) The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) today reviewed cost recovery options for permitted fishing in the Monument Expansion Area (MEA) of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center...
Press Release – Western Pacific Scientists to Discuss Longline Fishery Interaction Analyses and Bigeye Tuna Regulations Next Week (10 March 2023)
HONOLULU (10 March 2023) Scientific advisors to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will meet March 14-16, 2023, to provide advice and comments on on protected species interactions with the commercial Hawai‘i deep-set and American Samoa longline...
Press Release: Fishing Returns to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands After 15 Years ( 8 December 2022)
HONOLULU (8 December 2022) Fishery managers from across the Western Pacific recommended fishing regulations yesterday for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) Expansion Area. Members of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council...
Press Release: Scientists Find Results from NWHI Monument Spillover Paper Could Not Be Replicated (30 November 2022)
HONOLULU (23 November 2022) HONOLULU (30 November 2022) The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) at its meeting yesterday discussed a critique of a recently published paper on “Spillover benefits from the world’s largest fully protected MPA,” referring...
Press Release: Western Pacific Scientists to Discuss NWHI Fishing Regulations and Longline Fishery Interaction Studies Next Week (23 November 2022)
HONOLULU (23 November 2022) Scientists from throughout the Western Pacific Region will meet Nov. 29 to 30, 2022, to provide advice and comments to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council on the fishing regulations in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands...
Press Release: Council to Solicit Input from Community on NWHI Fishing Regulations, Requests Support for Purse Seiners in American Samoa (23 September 2022)
HONOLULU (23 September 2022) At its meeting this week, the Council reviewed alternatives for fishing regulations in the Monument Expansion Area (50-200 nautical miles) of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Among the alternatives are maintaining the status quo, where...
Press Release – Council Rebukes Proposal to Expand Marine National Monument in Pacific (22 September 2022)
HONOLULU (22 September 2022) Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Keone Nakoa, provided the opening remarks at the Council meeting this week, noting he is a native son of Hawai‘i. Nakoa is the lead Department of the Interior (DOI) official...
Press Release – Scientists Tackle Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Issues for Western Pacific Region (15 September 2022)
HONOLULU (15 September 2022) The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) concluded its three-day meeting today that emphasized the importance of rigorous scientific analysis, good data and consideration of human communities to inform ecosystem-based...