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Scientists to advise on federal determination of annual catch limits

WPRFM Council to streamline the annual catch limits process

HONOLULU — Renowned scientists from throughout the Pacific are convening in Honolulu today through Thursday to review a proposed system for determining which federally managed fish to regulate through annual catch limits (ACLs) and which to move into an ecosystem component category.

The meeting of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is open to the public. It runs daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400. 

“In 2006, Congress required that federally managed species be regulated through ACLs,” explains Kitty M. Simonds, Council executive director. "However, specifying ACLs for thousands of species in the Western Pacific Region has been impractical, burdensome and, in some cases, unfeasible."

The region includes coral reef fish, bottom fish, crustaceans, pelagic fish and deep-water corals. Some of these species lack the data needed to generate a stock assessment and/or have no near-real-time monitoring of catches. Even bundling some species into their family complexes requires the generation of 115 ACLs for the region, which includes Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). 

To streamline the ACL process, the Council will amend its five Fishery Ecosystem Plans to designate some species as ecosystem components. The Council will continue to monitor these species, but it will not be required to specify maximum sustainable yield, optimum yield, ACL and essential fish habitat for them. The Council will meet March 21 to 23 in Honolulu during which it will consider the advice of the SSC and its other advisory bodies. 

For more information on the ecosystem component item, please visit the Council webpage at www.wpcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/169-CM-Action-Item-summary-final.pdf.

During its meeting this week, the SSC is also scheduled to consider and may provide advice on the 2016 Hawaii coral reef fish stock assessment, fishing regulations for the monument expansion area in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center data confidentiality laws and policy, 2017 bigeye tuna stock assessment, Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission sea turtle mitigation, Hawaii deep-set longline Endangered Species Act consultations, false killer whales, and much more.

For the compete agenda and meeting documents, go to www.wpcouncil.org/2016/10/25/125th-scientific-and-statistical-committee/ or email info@wpcouncil.org or phone (808) 522-8220