Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has 10 of its members in American Samoa this week to hold meetings concerning various issues, including what concerns American Samoa the most these days — the development of a national marine sanctuary in the Pacific Remote Islands, which the local government and the majority of fisheries, including StarKist Samoa (cannery) oppose.

The Agenda for this week includes the Status Report on MEA or the  Monument Expansion Areas, and Proposed PRIA Sanctuary or the Pacific Remote Island Areas.

This is the concerning the future of the local Cannery and its workers in American Samoa, and also the fleet of fishing boats that serve StarKist Samoa Cannery.

In a letter of June 2, 2023 by the WPRFMC, to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries ONMS, Notice of Intent To Conduct Scoping and To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Designation of a National Marine Sanctuary for the Pacific Remote Islands was noted.

"When the Council supports the conservation ideals behind the development of a national marine sanctuary in the Pacific Remote Islands (PRI), we believe that fishing, including commercial fishing , is compatible with the proposed goals and objectives of the sanctuary. 

“Commercial fishing in the Pacific Remote Islands is sustainable, a benefit to the underserved communities of the Territory of American Samoa.”

The letter also stated that resuming commercial fishing in the PRI would assure compliance with recent Executive Orders, and it is  necessary to strengthen the U.S. Position for broader international conservation.

Over two thirds of U.S. waters around the Pacific Remote Island Areas are already closed to fishing through establishment of the Pacific Remote Island Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) and 53% of waters under Council jurisdiction are closed to fishing through Monument designations.

The above issue will be looked at on Wednesday this week, at the Gov. H. Rex Lee Auditorium during the 195th Council meeting, along with Program Planning and Research, Marian Archipelago, Pelagic and International Fisheries, Administrative matters and other businesses on final day Thursday, June 29th.

WPRFMC

 The Council's  Education & Outreach Coordinator and Primary Media Contact Ms Amy Vandehey in an interview with Samoa News says the WPRFMC is one of eight regional fishery management councils established by the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. Amended in 1996 to prevent overfishing, minimize by catch and protect fish stocks and habitat, it is now called the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA).

She pointed out on record that during its first 42 years, the Council’s accomplishments have run the gamut from being the first Regional Fishery Management Council in the nation to prohibit drift gill-net fishing and to develop an ecosystem-based fishery management plan to being the pioneer of the vessel monitoring system (VMS) for fishing vessels, which is now being implemented in fisheries worldwide.

The Council is made up of 16 Council members, the Council staff and several Council advisory bodies. It is a process that is a bottom-up, emphasizing public participation and involvement of fisheries management at the local and community levels.

Council decisions are based on the best available scientific information provided largely by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and are transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for approval.

Management measures created by the Council and approved by the Secretary are implemented by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Regional Office and enforced by the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard 14th District and local enforcement agencies.

 Ms Vandehey also pointed out, "The Council has 13 voting members and three non-voting members. A chair and four vice chairs (one from Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the CNMI) are elected annually by the Council members.

Council members must balance competing interests while trying to make decisions for the overall benefit of the nation. They are advised by the Council’s advisory panels and committees, Council staff, the public, states and territories, academia and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Eight of the members are private citizens who are familiar with the commercial and/ or non-commercial fisheries, marine conservation or both. They are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce from lists submitted by the Governors of each of the island areas:

The current Council members include:

Chairman — John Gourley, Micronesian Environmental Services (2020-2023, CNMI, obligatory); Vice Chair — Manuel “Manny” Duenas,Guam Fishermen’s Cooperative Association (2021-2024, Guam, obligatory); Matthew Ramsey, Conservation International (2021-2024 Hawaii, obligatory); McGrew Rice, Ihu Nui Charters (2020-2023, CNMI, at-large); Roger Dang, Fresh Island Fish Co. (2020-2023, Hawaii, at-large); Vice Chair — William Sword, Pacific Energy South-West Pacific Ltd (2022-2025, American Samoa, obligatory); Dr. Judith Guthertz, University of Guam (2022-2025, Guam, at-large);Shaelene Kamaka’ala Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, (2022-2025, Hawaii, at-large); and, (Designated) Vice Chair — Sylvan Igisomar CNMI Dept. of Lands and Natural Resources.

Ms Vandehey said,  "Council meetings are held about every 3 months, or more often if necessary.

"This is the first time that we will be holding the Council meeting in-person in American Samoa since our last meeting here in October 2019 (pre-pandemic).

“Typically the meeting locations are rotated around to the different regions within our area of jurisdiction (Hawaii, American Samoa, CNMI, Guam), with 1 meeting per year in American Samoa.”