Press Releases
Press Release: Western Pacific Scientists Support No Jeopardy Determination for Oceanic Whitetip Sharks Caught in Region’s Bottomfish Fisheries (17 June 2022)
HONOLULU (17 June 2022) The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) supported part of a draft bottomfish fishery biological opinion (BiOp) that concluded fisheries in Hawai‘i, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam are not likely to...
Press Release – Fishery Management Council to Consider Area-Based Management Issues and Draft Fishing Regulations for Proposed NWHI Sanctuary (17 June 2022)
HONOLULU (17 June 2022) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will meet June 21 to 23, 2022, to discuss President Biden’s “30x30” initiative and a proposed marine national monument expansion, draft fishing regulations for the proposed Northwestern...
Press Release – Scientists Advise Fishery Management Council on Area-Based Management and Development of a University of Hawaii Fisheries Program (15 June 2022)
HONOLULU (15 June 2022) The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee discussed a report written by the area-based management subcommittee of the Council Coordination Committee (CCC) to address the Biden Administration’s America the Beautiful initiative. The...
Press Release – Western Pacific Scientists Discuss 2021 Fishery Reports and Bottomfish Fishery Management Changes (14 June 2022)
HONOLULU (14 June 2022) The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) at its meeting today discussed highlights from the 2021 Annual Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Reports. The reports cover the performance of Council-managed fisheries in...
Press Release – Scientists to Discuss 2021 Fishery Status, Protected Species Studies and Deep-Sea Mining in the Western Pacific (9 June 2022)
HONOLULU (9 June 2022) Scientists across the Western Pacific Region will meet June 14 to 16, 2022, to provide advice and comments to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council on the 2021 fishery status reports, Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultations,...
Press Release – Federal Fishery Managers Continue Reducing Impacts to Protected Species in the Pacific with Required Gear Change (24 May 2022)
HONOLULU (24 May 2022) An industry-led conservation measure to reduce impacts to oceanic whitetip sharks is the latest example in a long history of bottom-up federal fishery management through the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. Starting May 31,...
Press Release – Western Pacific Council Supports Protection of False Killer Whales, Leads US Fisheries Interests in Pacific (23 March 2022)
HONOLULU (23 March 2022) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council discussed today its position on the future direction for the False Killer Whale (FKW) Take Reduction Plan and agreed to not support adoption of weaker hooks under the Plan due to the...
Press Release – Federal Fishery Managers to Develop Fishing Regulations for Proposed Hawai‘i National Marine Sanctuary (22 March 2022)
HONOLULU (22 March 2022) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council said at its meeting today it will develop fishing regulations as part of the proposed Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) sanctuary designation. The NOAA sanctuary designation process...
Press Release – US Pacific Scientists Discuss Next Generation Data Collection, New Pacific Strategy to Advocate for Fisheries (17 March 2022)
HONOLULU (17 March 2022) At the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) meeting this week, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) Director Michael Seki presented the NOAA Next Generation Data Acquisition Plan (NG-DAP) that will guide data...
Press Release – Western Pacific Scientists Found “Weak Hook” Study Inconclusive as a False Killer Whale Mitigation Strategy ( 15 March 2022)
HONOLULU (15 March 2022) The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) found that a National Marine Fisheries Service 2021 “weak hook” study was inconclusive and did not provide scientific support for adopting weaker hooks as the primary strategy for reducing impacts...