WestPac Fishery Council demands inclusion of cultural value in federal prioritization framework
HONOLULU — (March 25, 2026) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WestPac) today advanced follow-up work on fisheries science and management priorities, reaffirmed its seafood Executive Order recommendations from its September 2025 meeting, and took action on shark depredation and mitigation in the Pacific Islands region. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) plans to reduce funding to the regions and science centers to manage our fisheries. The prioritization framework is intended to narrow the scope of NMFS’s federal fisheries science and management from more than 500 stocks nationally to account for new funding realities. The framework weighs the value of and risks to each fishery and stock, defining value primarily in monetary terms and treating social and other considerations as secondary. The NMFS economic-first approach fails to reflect the essential role of fisheries in the Pacific Islands region. The Council made clear that for Pacific Island communities, cultural importance supersedes economic value integral to the prioritization exercise. Members directed its Scientific and Statistical Committee to develop a mechanism capable of determining and quantifying the value of culture to inform the prioritization. “Reduced funding does not eliminate the Council’s responsibility to manage fisheries in the region,” said Council Chair Nathan Ilaoa from American Samoa. “We are different — we don’t have vast amounts of farmland or Costco, we depend on fisheries, we have to make sure it doesn't downgrade our fisheries. Cultural value may be difficult to quantify, but it must be part of the decision-making process.” Although the region’s small-scale bottomfish and Kona crab fisheries may appear small by national economic standards, they play an outsized role in food security and culture. Evaluating fisheries only by dollar value would make it harder for Western Pacific fisheries to compete for funding. In 2018, the Council moved to reclassify hundreds of fisheries caught in state and territorial waters as ecosystem component species so that limited resources can be directed to priority fisheries. “This is ultimately a resource allocation issue at both the regional and national levels,” said Council member Barry Thom, executive director of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, the newest nonvoting member. “The Council, Center and Region should use this process to demonstrate that resources are being targeted where they are most needed.” SEAFOOD EXECUTIVE ORDER Responding to EO 14276, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,” the Council reviewed its recommendations and decided that no changes to our list of actions will be made. Removing fishing prohibitions in the Pacific Island monuments remains the Council’s highest priority. A close second is revising burdensome regulations such as the Hawai‘i shallow-set longline fishery turtle trip limit measure and hard cap, which are highly disruptive to a fishery that supplies approximately half of the domestic swordfish market. “The current closure has been costly and inefficient, burdening the longline fleet that supplies our StarKist cannery,” Ilaoa said. “Our fleet is critical to American Samoa’s economy and to maintain MSC certification needed to support contracts serving the military and school lunch programs across the nation.” SHARK DEPREDATION AND MITIGATION Major outcomes from the February 2026 shark workshop highlighted ongoing concerns about shark depredation across the region. Participants agreed that better data collection and reporting is critical. Information on lost gear and fishing time, and continued collaboration with fishermen to test and improve deterrent technologies are among the top priorities. “What we heard from around the region is that shark depredation varies between pelagic and bottomfish fisheries,” said workshop chair Jason Helyer of the Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources. “Questions about whether it is being driven by population changes, habituation or climate-related factors are part of a broader issue affecting fisheries globally.” GUIDELINES FOR ELECTRONIC MONITORING Electronic monitoring (EM) takes advantage of modern technology to monitor Council-managed longline fisheries while lessening burdens to vessel operators compared to human observers such as providing food and living space. The Council reviewed guidelines for vessel monitoring plans (VMPs), which are vessel-specific plans required for boats using EM systems. The VMPs include contact information, malfunction contingencies and catch handling requirements while at sea. In June 2025, the Council recommended full EM implementation in the Hawai‘i and American Samoa longline fisheries, with a primary focus on protected species and bycatch monitoring. The Council endorsed the guidelines to help ensure the program operates efficiently. The Council recommended continued training for vessel owners, operators and crew on VMP requirements and to consider some of the cultural differences, including diverse languages spoken. The Council, with NMFS and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, held multiple forums from November 2025 to February 2026 to gather fishing industry feedback on EM and VMPs. In that time, 40-50 crew members, captains and vessel managers were trained. “While there will be a transition period as we ramp up EM, I can assure from experience with our other programs that it will run smooth once implemented,” said Thom. “These conversations on VMPs are very important to make the program effective.” At these forums, vessel owners and operators expressed preference for EM rather than having to accommodate human observers while at sea. Ilaoa said, “It is good we are able to reduce burden on crews and meet monitoring needs. Having the VMPs specific to each vessel in our region is the way to go.” Section: Regional Tags: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
2026-03-27 18:16:53