Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — While American Samoa’s Marine & Wildlife Resources director, Taotasi Archie Soliai has submitted an official comment to federal fisheries managers over the proposed catch limits for bottomfish — highlighting the cultural importance of the fishery — fishing regulations for a proposed Hawaii National Marine Sanctuary are drawing similar scrutiny. (Read story on Taotasi’s comments elsewhere in this issue.)

The NOAA sanctuary designation process includes a formal consultation with the regional fishery management councils on fisheries regulations at the start of the process.  And the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is proposing options for permitting and reporting requirements for commercial (outside current monument boundaries), noncommercial, Native Hawaiian practices and research fishing within sanctuary boundaries.

The Council manages federal fisheries operating in waters offshore of the State of Hawai‘i, the Territories of American Samoa and Guam, the CNMI and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Areas.

Subsistence and sustenance fishing is common in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands off platforms such as the traditional sailing vaka, the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Hikianalia (pictured).

Taotasi in his official comment noted that although it is a small fishery (citing 20 participants), “bottomfishing is a culturally-important fishery in our islands. It is part of what makes us Samoans. The deep-water snappers have nourished our cultural traditions for thousands of years.”