Category Archives: Western Pacific
American Samoa DMWR Director reports on local issues
A crown of thorns or alamea outbreak and the removal of sea cucumbers were some of the issues the director of the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources highlighted during her statement at the 31st US Coral Reef Task Force Meeting. DMWR Director Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga is a member of the All Island Committee of the Task Force, which comprises American Samoa, CNMI, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Read more here talaneia.com 16:44
Alaska joins Hawaii to have central North Pacific humpbacks struck from endangered list
Experiment: Converting the American Samoa Longline fishery into the Science fishery – audio
As part of the experiment, Carlos Sanchez of the Longline Association is conducting experimental fishing targeting species such as yellowfin and bigeye using non-longline gear and technological equipment. Sanchez, “isn’t going to be the art of fishing, but the science of fishing” Audio here 15:38
AMSEA Fishing vessel safety and drill course set for March 1 and 2 in Hawaii
The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association will offer a two-day fishing vessel safety and drill conductor course March 1 and 2 at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, 726 S. Kihei Road. The course is free for commercial fishermen, and $175 for all others. All mariners are welcome. Read more here 11:33
Tautai o Samoa Longline and Fishing Association wants waiver to fish in 50 mile zone
The Tautai o Samoa Longline and Fishing Association have requested the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council for a temporary moratorium or waiver from regulations governing the 50 mile area closures around American Samoa. Read [email protected] 18:13
Scientist Resigns Over ‘Abusive Work Environment’ with Federal Fishery Council
Robin Baird, a renowned research biologist, says an “abusive work environment” has forced him her to quit his her position on a committee that advises the Western Pacific RFMC on protected species. In a letter to Wespac Executive Director Kitty Simonds, Baird says fellow committee member Milani Chaloupka‘s behavior was “unprofessional and highly inappropriate.” sniff sniff Read [email protected] 22:40
Whale and Dolphin Research Expands Off Maui. Can you figure out how much 10,000 to 13,000 humpback eat?
An early pioneer in humpback whale research off Maui, Pacific Whale Foundation Founder and Executive Director Greg Kaufman recalls the 1970s, when whale sightings were so few that he only launched his research raft when he had located a whale from shore. Data collected is critical to contribute to sound management plans in the future. umm. How about a cull? Read more@mauiweekley 08:14
Coast Guard aircrew assists sinking Honolulu F/V Sea Moon, dump the pump, saves crew, vessel
HONOLULU — Six mariners are safe after their vessel began sinking approximately 173 miles north of Oahu Monday. At 11:15 a.m., a Good Samaritan notified watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Center that the 66-foot commercial fishing vessel Sea Moon was flooded and dead in the water with crewmembers using buckets to dewater the boat. Read more@uscgnews 08:07
HONOLULU: Federal and State governments fishing for compromise on shark fin laws – At the bottom of all of this is greed!
Hawaii law bans possession, sale, distribution or trade of any shark fin. However federal law allows legal fisherman to land shark fins as long as they are still attached to the body. “I’m hopeful Hawaii will prevail. At the bottom of all of this is greed. There is really nothing more. It certainly isn’t a sustainable planet and I would challenge anybody to suggest that preempting Hawaii law is to make a healthier planet because it’s simply not true,” said Sen. Hee. Read more@hawaiinewsnow 08:46
BIG STORY: Dongwon’s environmental damages total at least $40m, allege US lawyers
The crews of vessels allegedly controlled by Dongwon Industries in the South Pacific threw 50 gallons of oil at a time into the sea, in addition to habitually using the ocean as a dumping ground for plastic and oil filled rags, according to court documents from the law firm Moore & Company. Such negligence was rampant during the vessels’ five years of fishing in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Pacific — a region that only company’s controlled by US citizens can have licences for — alleges Moore & Company, which filed an amendment claim against the company on Jan. 10. The story of Dongwon’s alleged illegal use of US fishing licenses – a scheme using US-based LLCs and the US citizenship status of the nieces of Dongwon chairman Jae-chul Kim – may be intriguing, but emails and voice mails cited in court documents paint an equally dramatic picture of environmental law violations. Read more@undercurrent 16:36
Fish News from American Samoa
DMWR surveys fishermen’s needs – The Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources has recently completed a survey with fishermen Tri Marine officials here – Top officials of Tri Marine International arrived in the territory last night to inspect progress on the Samoa Tuna Processors plant at Atu’u. STP to open fresh/frozen fish facility soon – Samoa Tuna Processors hopes to complete its fresh and frozen fish facility next month. Low fish prices a concern for Tri Marine – They are also concerned about the current low prices for fish which is hurting fishing boats. Tri Marine International wants to make American Samoa the tuna hub of the Pacific. The new Samoa Tuna Processors plant at Atu’u will be equipped with modern equipment that is supposed to get rid of the fish odor that’s synonymous with canneries. 20:06
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council – Request for Proposals – Electronic Reporting System
All proposals must be submitted by February 15, 2014, Read more here 16:31
Hawaii longline boats face lower tuna catch quota
HONOLULU (AP) – Hawaii’s longline fishing boat owners expect their sales of ahi will drop by millions of dollars under an agreement in which the United States will reduce its longline tuna catch for three years starting in 2015. Nearly 90 percent of the total U.S. longline catch of bigeye tuna is caught by Hawaii boats. Read more@hawaiinewsnow Tales of a Hawaii Longliner here 17:06:12
Governor Lolo Moliga calls for united front on 100% Buy America Act
Governor Lolo said the lobbying efforts waged by Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea are very aggressive and powerful hence there is a great danger that the amendments would be approved by Congress. He said the attempts by these two canneries to water down the provision of the Buy America Act threatened the operating security of the local canneries and the economic survival of the territory. Read [email protected] 12:32
American Samoa: Longliner Owners positive of meeting with governor
After meeting with members of the Tautai Fishing Association yesterday Governor Lolo Moliga has asked for two weeks to review all of the issues raised by the longliner owners. The meeting was in response to requests from the association to the govenror for assistance in helping them survive. Read [email protected] 08:45
Starkist CEO hits back at Bumble Bee ‘buy American’ comments
Frank Pogue, vice president of marketing and corporate affairs for Starkist, hit back at comments from Bumble Bee Foods CEO, Chris Lischewski, over rules on who can supply US government food contracts. Starkist — which defended its “Made in America” claim to Undercurrent News last year — and Tri Marine International are clashing with Bumble Bee Foods and Chicken of the Sea over the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) strict “buy American” standards for where tuna is cleaned, canned and shipped, reported the The Hill, on Jan. 8. Read more@undercurrent 07:59
Some fishermen just should not drink alcohol. “you’re a danger to yourself, to your family and the community” when you are drunk, so get sober.”
American Samoa – Associate Justice John Ward yesterday asked the attorney representing the government to see if ASG has a policy on handling cases relating to fishermen who stay here longer than they should. A Panamanian fisherman made his initial appearance in District Court yesterday on a charge of public peace disturbance. It turns out the fisherman, Adonia Avila, is sponsored by the agent for the fishing vessel he works for and he has been living here for well over a decade. Read [email protected] 09:14
House pegs fisheries for $75M disaster aid; NOAA staying here
In the first instance of tangible federal financial assistance following the declaration of a fisheries disaster in 2012, congressional appropriators have included $75 million in disaster aid to fishermen and fishing communities in the $1 trillion Congressional spending bill. Read more@gdt 12:15
American Samoa government unsure about helping fishing sector
PAGOPAGO, American Samoa — American Samoa’s Governor, Lolo Matalasi Moliga, says he is sympathetic and wants to help local fishing vessels but he says the canneries are the government’s main focus. Last week, for sale signs went up on longliner fishing boats anchored in the main dock and at the canneries. Read [email protected] 13:44
Press Release: WPRFMC – Tuna Commission 2014-2017 Measures Are Driven by Allocation, Not Conservation
Despite being unjustly cast as the villain in the negotiating process, the United States ceded longline catch and purse-seine fishing effort limits. By contrast, despite being subject to some constraints, the member nations of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) can continue to expand their tuna fisheries, especially purse seining. The flimsy excuse for this unchecked expansion is that the Pacific Island members of FFA have to bear a disproportionate burden of the conservation measures, though this has yet to be convincingly demonstrated to the United States and other Commission members. Read more here 19:27
Video Presentation – Fishers Forum: Debunking Fishery Myths from the WPRFMC
Learn what’s fact and fiction in Hawaii’s fisheries: longlines (Jim Cook), lay net (Frank Farm), aquarium fish collecting (Matthew Ross) and SCUBA spearfishing (Makani Christensen). Watch the video here 22:00
American Samoa Government Asked To Subsidize Longline Fleet, a significant contributor to the local economy
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (The Samoa News, Dec. 22, 2013) – On behalf of the ASG Shipyard Service Authority board, chairman David Robinson recently proposed to the Governor’s Office a fuel subsidy or further reduction in fuel costs to help the American Samoa longline fleet, which is facing low prices received for their catches. READ [email protected] 17:59
American Samoa longline fleet to post all fishing vessels for sale as the future of this fishery or support for the fishery does not seem imminent.
Owners of longliners in the territory say they have made their concerns known to Governor Lolo Moliga since February of this year. In a press release issued yesterday the boat owners said a consensus to tie up all of the American Samoa longline fleet was reached at a meeting between vessel owners last Thursday. Read [email protected] 23:56
Gov. signs West Hawaii fishery management rules
Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed the West Hawaii Regional Fishery Management Area Rules, which are the result of 10 years of work by more than 500 community members to more effectively regulate and protect marine resources in West Hawaii. more@khon2 08:14
American Samoa: Sea cucumber off limits for 6 months
Governor Lolo has signed an executive order placing a ban on the removal of sea cucumbers from local waters. The worm-like and usually soft-bodied echinoderms keep the reefs clean. However in recent years, the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources has seen the species being removed in alarmingly great numbers and exported to Asia, where they are a staple in stir-fry, soups and stews. [email protected] 22:57
Multinational search for missing crewmember in the Western Pacific
POHNPEI, FSM—Multiple agencies from the Federated States of Micronesia, Japan, and the U.S. coordinated efforts, over the course of five days, to search for a crewmember that was reported missing from the Japanese fishing vessel Chokyu Maru 35. A total of 2,234 square nautical miles were covered during the search. more@saipantribune 17:18
Optimism for deal to lower Pacific tuna catches
Eight Pacific island nations, members of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement, along with Japan and the Philippines, want to reduce the catch of bigeye and yellow fin tuna over the next four years. But objections from the “distant water” fleets meant a modified proposal was now being worked on, said Brian Hallman, executive director of the American Tunaboat Association, which represents about 40 US-flagged purse seine fishing vessels. “At this stage, there is not a clear consensus on a solution which would be acceptable to all members,” Hallman said. [email protected] 08:45
What Is The ACTUAL Risk for Pacific Coast Residents from Fukushima Radiation?
It is very difficult to obtain accurate information on the dangers from Fukushima radiation to residents of the West Coast of North America and Hawaii. On the one hand, there is fear-mongering and “we’re all going to die” type hysteria. On the one hand, there is a tendency for governments to cover up the truth to avoid panic and deflect blame for bad policy. Japan is poised to pass a bill which would outlaw most reporting on Fukushima. And the U.S. government is not even monitoring radiation levels in the waters off the U.S. coast. As the Cape Cod Times reports,<em> [email protected] 09:10
Showdown looms for lucrative Western Pacific tuna industry
The future of the world’s largest tuna fishery will be decided at a meeting in Australia this week, with Pacific island nations demanding tighter controls on a catch now worth US$7.0 billion a year. A record 2.65 million tonnes of tuna was hauled from the Pacific last year, accounting for 60 percent of the global catch, with most of the fishing conducted by so-called “distant water” fleets from as far afield as Europe, the United States, China, Korea and Taiwan. Island nations, many of which rely on tuna for a significant portion of their income, fear stocks are becoming unsustainable and want action at the December 2-6 meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) in Cairns. [email protected] 08:16
