The US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has announced the tuna purse seine fishery in the “Effort Limit Area for Purse Seine” (ELAPS) will close as of Oct. 9.
The rule was passed on Oct. 1, as a result of vessels reaching the 2019 limit on purse seine fishing effort in the ELAPS.
NMFS said, “This action is necessary for the United States to implement provisions of a conservation and management measure adopted by the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.
However Governor Lolo Moliga has written to Michael Tosatto — Regional Administrator for the NMFS in the Pacific Islands — asking for the rule to be “corrected”.
The cessation of fishing in the ELAPS until the turn of the year will have a negative impact on the tuna-dependent economy of his nation, wrote the governor.
“It will hurt the purse seiners based in American Samoa, along with our tuna processors who depend on the catch from those boats.”
Governor Lolo argued there is a significant error in NMFS interim rule, as it wrongly assumes there is no adverse impact from the ELAPS closure.
“NMFS must take into account the severely negative impact of the ELAPS closure on American Samoa.”
He also suggested in his letter that the closure will have no beneficial conservation impact anyway.
US waters and the high seas areas close to American Samoa have been very productive for the US fleet over the last few years, he wrote.
Their proximity to American Samoa allows the fleet to remain within a viable range to land there, supporting the canneries as well as the larger economy of the territory.
“With the closure of the high seas, it is probable that the vessels will need to move further to the east or west and will begin to operate outside of the range to economically return to deliver their catch to American Samoa.”
He urged Tosatto to address the issue at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting this week.
