Samuel D. Rauch III, NOAA Fisheries Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, has praised the U.S. Regional Fishery Management Councils as the “key for the success” of both “environmental and economic progress” in the nation’s fisheries.
He says that’s a difficult thing to accomplish,”but we have the statistics to prove it.”
Ranch was speaking at the start of a three-day meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council in Honolulu.
The Council’s fishery decision-making includes input from state, federal and interested stakeholders in an open, scientific process.
There’s also opportunity for public comment as well as recommendations from various Council advisory groups.
American Samoas representatives on the Council are Director of Marine and Wildlife Resources Dr. Ruth Matagi, Director of Port Administration, Taimalelagi Dr. Claire Poumele and Taulapapa Willie sword representing recreational fishermen.
Christina Lutu Sanchez sits on one of the technical advisory committees of the Council and several residents serve on the American Samoa advisory group to the Council.
Rauch noted that a recent peer-reviewed study showed that U.S. fisheries managed under the Council process scored extremely high when compared against the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidance on seafood sustainability certification (www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa).
Speaking about President Obama’s Task Force on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Rauch said there are requirements to collect more information from U.S. fleets than foreign fleets, some of which import fish into the United States.
He hoped that the outcomes of the Task Force would lead to better traceability of both foreign and domestic fisheries.
Kitty Simmonds, Executive Director of the Western Pacific Council, noted that both the Hawaii and American Samoa longline fisheries, managed under the Council, rated more than 90 percent compliant with the UN FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
Under discussion at the Honolulu meeting is an NMFS proposed rule on standardized bycatch reporting methodology.
Public comments on the proposed rule are being accepted until June 3.
Email nmfs.bycatch@noaa.gov or go to www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/bycatch.
Simonds said the Western Pacific Council completed its bycatch policy in 2003.
She also said that protected species bycatch in the Western Pacific Region has been reduced by more than 90 percent for turtles and seabirds.
As for non-regulatory bycatch, which fishermen are not required to release, only lancet fish is not being marketed for human consumption.
