18 minute read
Youth Movement: American Samoa’s Next Batch of Fishers
Science & Management 101: What is a Kobe Plot?
Above: This example Kobe plot is from a recent main Hawaiian Islands uku stock assessment and indicates that the stock is not currently overfished and overfishing is not occurring.
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A “Kobe plot” (first used at a meeting in Kobe, Japan) is a visual way to show the status of a stock. The plot is divided into four panels which correspond to a particular condition of the stock (overfishing, underfishing, overfished and underfished). By developing a ratio of how much fishing is occurring (F) versus the estimated number of fish (B) for any particular fishery, a point can be plotted in one of those four panels, thus telling the status. The Kobe plot can be broken down into two parts: amount of fish and the fishing effort. The amount of fish is called biomass (B) and represents the population level. On the Kobe plot, a line is drawn vertically at the point where there is just enough biomass that the amount of fish taken doesn’t affect future spawning (B/B MSY , MSY = maximum sustainable yield). To the left of that line, too many fish are being removed from the ocean and the stock can’t keep up with replacing itself (overfished). To the right, the amount of fish taken still allows for the stock to replenish itself (underfished).
Fishing mortality (F) is the amount of fish killed by fishing and can provide a reference for how much fishing can occur without affecting the sustainability of the stock. A horizontal line on the Kobe plot provides the point where the fishing effort (not the amount taken, or B) can impact the amount of fish available (F/F MSY ). Above the line, so much fishing is occurring that, if continued, the stock could become overfished (the definition of overfishing). Below the line, the amount of fishing will not affect the amount of fish in the population (underfishing). The Western Pacific Council assesses targeted fisheries like tunas, bottomfish and uku, but also manages incidentally caught fish like billfish (marlins) and bycatch such as sharks. If the Council finds that a fishery is overfished or overfishing is occurring, then it is required to take action by creating a stock rebuilding plan, which could include management measures such as reducing annual catch limits.
The goal of management is to get a fishery as close as possible to the intersection of the two lines.
Sources: Victor Restrepo https://sustainablefisheries-uw.org/seafood-101 overfished-overfishing-rebuilding-stocks
Get to Know Your Council Members: Howard Dunham
Learn about the people who balance competing interests while trying to make fishery management decisions for the overall benefit of the nation. Howard Dunham was appointed to the Council as the vice chair for Howard Dunham American Samoa in 2019. He has been a commercial fisherman, using an alia (traditional double hulled fishing catamaran), and certified diver for more than 20 years. He is the president of the American Samoa Alia Fishing Association and enjoys participating in regional tournaments.
Why did you want to be part of the Council?
I joined the Council to foster new relationships which could help revive the traditional alia fishing fleet in American Samoa and better preserve our significant marine resources for future generations.
What changes have you seen in the American Samoa fishing industry in the past 20 years?
I have noticed a decline in foreign longline vessels in our waters. Only a handful of local alia are now operating commercially; many remain tied-up and are only used for occasional family and cultural purposes. In the past 20 years, the local alia fleet has not been modernized with current technology/equipment and still requires lots of manual labor.
What was your first impression after your first Council meeting?
What are some challenges that American Samoa fisheries are facing?
American Samoa is currently facing a possible closure to bottomfish fishing due to overfishing. I feel this may be a premature closure because of a lack of accurate and current data collection locally. We are now working toward improving this data collection. Access to new markets both on- and off-island is possible today with some modest improvements to infrastructure onshore. We currently need a crushed ice machine and packing facility in Pago Pago to ship fish to more lucrative markets off-island.
To be honest, I was a bit nervous at first but gradually became more confident each day. It is a new experience for me to be a part of the policymaking side of the industry. I have so Dunham and his fishing friend, Abe Jemiah, many new acronyms to learn! I am excited to proudly display their long-tail red snappers. Photo courtesy of Howard Dunham. meet new people in the industry and look forward to strengthening those relationships in the future.
Tell me about one of your most exciting fishing experiences.
Every fishing experience is exciting. My greatest memories are those of being a teen and spearfishing from the reef or my paopao (canoe) in the mid-1970s. I still remember one time catching a tuna in the waters near the airport and having it pull me around in my canoe for two hours.
Lastly, what is your favorite fish to eat and how do you prepare it?
Red goatfish My favorite fish to eat is the red goatfish, or veke’ula. I prefer the fish cooked over an open-flame, but still enjoy it fried or steamed. I prefer my sashimi to come from either yellowfin tuna or deep-sea barracuda.
Congressional Corner
In response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that includes $300 million in funding for fisheries and aquaculture with $4,337,445 allocated for Hawai‘i, $2,553,194 for American Samoa and $1 million each for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Section 12005 of the CARES Act stipulates that funds are authorized to aid tribal, subsistence, commercial and charter fishery participants affected by the novel coronavirus. This section of the bill is aimed at supporting independent operators who are not otherwise covered by agriculture disaster assistance programs. To be eligible for relief, participants must have “revenue losses greater than 35% as compared to the prior five-year average revenue, or any negative impacts to subsistence, cultural or ceremonial fisheries.” Funds may be awarded on a rolling basis “and within a fishing season to ensure rapid delivery of funds,” which will remain available
until Sept. 30, 2021. More information can be found at the Council’s website at www.wpcouncil. org/coronavirus. A bill introduced in March 2020 would establish a regulatory system for sustainable offshore aquaculture in the US exclusive economic zone. H.R. 6191, also known as the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act, would provide national standards for sustainable offshore aquaculture; require the Secretary of Commerce to promulgate regulations for permitting and siting of aquaculture activities; and not consider offshore aquaculture as fishing for the purposes of the Magnuson Stevens Act. The Council is keeping an eye on this bill as it may have impacts on its actions to develop a permitting framework for aquaculture in the Western Pacific Region. In addition, the White House issued an Executive Order (EO) on May 7, 2020 promoting American seafood competitiveness and economic growth. The EO specifically proposes to remove outdated and unnecessarily burdensome regulations; strengthen efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; and remove barriers to aquaculture permitting and project development.
Council Family Updates
At the 181st Council meeting, the Council supported the following advisory body changes: • Nonu Tuisamoa and Joseph Fa‘aita are joining the American Samoa Advisory Panel. • The Archipelagic Plan Team welcomes three new members: Michael Quach, NOAA Pacific Islands
Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC); Bryan Ishida,
Hawai‘i Dept. of Aquatic Resources; and Marc
Nadon, NOAA PIFSC.
• The Pelagic Plan Team welcomes four new members: Donald Kobayashi, Michael Quach and Michael Kinney, NOAA PIFSC; and Sean Felise,
American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife
Resources (DMWR).
• The Fishery Data Collection and Research Committee-Technical Committee welcomes two new members: Michael Quach and Joseph O’Malley, NOAA PIFSC. • The Education Committee welcomes two new members: Alexandra Bayless, NOAA PIFSC; and Maria Mauga-Vaofanua, American Samoa
DMWR.
From left: Aveipepa Fua, Jude Lizama and Leilani Sablan are the three recipients of the US Pacific Territories Fishery Capacity-Building Scholarship for 2020-2021.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Manage
ment Council is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2020-2021 US Pacific Territories Fishery CapacityBuilding Scholarship. The scholarships are offered annually to college students with close connections to American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) who are pursuing degrees that will bolster the Territories’ capacity to manage their fishery ecosystems. Students who accept a scholarship agree to work with their local fishery agency upon graduation for an equivalent amount of time that they receive the scholarship.
The 2020-2021 recipients include Aveipepa Fua (American Samoa) who will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marine science at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo; Jude Lizama (CNMI) who will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in oceanography with a concentration in fisheries science at Hawai‘i Pacific University; and Leilani Sablan (Guam) who will be pursuing a master’s degree in biology at the University of Guam.
Since the scholarship program began in 2016, five recipients have graduated, with three having fulfilled their work requirements in American Samoa and the CNMI and two beginning their work commitment in 2019; and six recipients are poised to graduate in 2020 (two students) and 2021 (four students).
The scholarship program was established through a memorandum of understanding involving several federal agencies, the local fishery agencies in the Territories and several colleges and universities in Hawai‘i and the Territories. It is funded by the Council, NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office.
NOAA Awards Nearly $1 Million for Fisheries Projects in the Western Pacific Region
In May 2020, the Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) Grant
Program announced the awarding of more than $8 million to fund projects that address the needs of fishing communities, optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries and increase other opportunities to keep working waterfronts viable. Program priorities focused on promotion, development and marketing, and science or technology that promotes sustainable US seafood production and harvesting. Of the 146 proposals that were submitted, four were selected for funding from the Western Pacific Region totaling $915,563. These projects were funded: • Community Ideas and Projects for Ahi, Yellowfin Tuna,
Landed on Kaua‘i. Pacific Islands Fisheries Group.
Yellowfin tuna (‘ahi) is a key species in the Hawaiian diet, the local economy and visitor culinary experience. Kaua‘i is dominated by part-time anglers, most of them trollers, whose catch generally supplies the local Kaua‘i market.
The objective of this proposed work is to identify and evaluate a range of possible approaches to diversify or increase market share and business opportunities for the Kaua‘i small boat ‘ahi (and other species) fleet and the community’s goals and preferences related to diversification.
• Advancing the Promotion, Development and Marketing for Hawai‘i’s Local Sustainable Fisheries. Conservation
International Foundation.
The goal of this project is to strengthen the viability of Hawai‘i’s local seafood industry by creating a scalable market-based model that promotes better business practices and marketing strategies to increase production and market demand for local and sustainable fish species. To do this, the project proposes to develop a “Pacific Chef Network” pilot initiative targeted at increasing the market demand for bluestripe snapper, or ta‘ape. • Building Resiliency in Hawaiian Fishing Communities:
A Pilot Project Assessing the Feasibility of Developing a
Local Fishmeal Plant. Hawaii Feed & Fertilizer, LLC.
One of the biggest barriers to the growth of aquaculture in Hawai‘i is the high cost of imported aquafeed. Producing aquafeed locally would remove that barrier and help aquaculture to be sustainable and grow throughout Hawai‘i. This project proposes to create and test fishmeal made from Hawaiian fish processing waste to produce locally sourced aquafeed that can be used for local aquaculture farms as well as pet feed, fish bait and fertilizer. • Determining Patterns and Drivers of Life-History
Variation to Inform Present and Future Fishery
Management in the US Pacific. University of Guam.
Knowing the life-history traits of coral reef species can help scientists and managers predict and interpret population dynamics used in stock assessments and management. This project proposes to determine life history traits for commercially important fish species in the Mariana Archipelago to determine the relationships between the environment and fish biological traits.
This will help to project and forecast fishery yield under future climate variability and better inform management of those species. The Saltonstall-Kennedy Act of 1954 established a program to provide financial support for research and development of commercial fisheries. A portion of import duties on fish and fish products is provided to a fund that finances this research and development. Some of these funds are used to support the annual competitive S-K Grant Program. For more information, visit www.fisheries.noaa.gov/grant/saltonstall-kennedygrant-program.
What a Catch!
Council member Michael Dueñas (Guam), along with his father Manny Dueñas and brother Matthew Orot, proudly shows off the 350-pound black marlin he caught in May 2020, after a 3-hour battle.
Recipes
Whether you enjoy it on crackers washed down with a cold beer, or sautéed with onions and served over hot rice, tuna in cans or pouches has made a regular appearance in quarantine cooking across the US. Please enjoy these recipes recommended by Council staff.
Sylvia – Tuna, Spinach and Artichoke Casserole
Courtesy of starkist.com/recipes
Serves 6 Ingredients
• 2 2.6-oz pouches StarKist Low
Sodium Albacore White Tuna in
Water • 2 cups cooked brown rice • 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry • 1 9-oz package frozen artichokes, thawed and drained • 1 tsp canola oil • ½ sweet onion, diced • 2 tsp minced garlic • 4 oz sliced mushrooms • 2 tbsp unsalted butter • 2 tbsp flour • 1½ cups skim milk • ¼ cup grated Swiss cheese plus 2 tbsp • ¼-½ tsp ground nutmeg • ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
• Preheat oven to 375°F. • Mix tuna, rice, spinach and artichokes together in medium bowl. • Heat canola oil in medium nonstick frying pan. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is just soft. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add to tuna and rice mixture. • In same frying pan, melt butter.
Whisk in flour and cook on low heat for a minute. Gradually whisk in milk and stir until thickened. Whisk in cheese and stir until melted. Add nutmeg and pepper and mix well. • Stir milk mixture into tuna mixture and combine well. Pour into a 1½ qt casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tbsp cheese and broil until cheese browns.
Nate – Tuna Cream Cheese Spread (This one is great for movie nights! It goes well with pale ales, especially IPA or light lagers.)
Ingredients
• 4 2.6-oz StarKist extra-virgin olive oil yellowfin tuna pouches • 4 oz cream cheese (let it soften before mixing) • 3 oz sour cream • 4 oz Kewpie mayo • 4 cloves finely minced garlic • 1 bunch finely chopped cilantro • 2-3 tbsp Sriracha sauce • 3 stalks of green onions (mix white part in the dip and garnish with the green part) • a few heavy-handed shakes of smoked paprika • ½ tsp lemon zest
Directions
• Combine all ingredients in a large non-metal bowl. • Lay some plastic wrap over the top, pushing out all the air pockets. • Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. • Serve with your favorite crackers, chips and toasted breads.
Amy – Baja Tuna Tacos
Courtesy of starkist.com/recipes
Serves 2 Ingredients
• 1 6.4-oz pouch StarKist Chunk Light
Tuna in Oil • 4 flour tortillas • 1 tbsp lime juice • ½ cup sliced red cabbage • ½ cup sliced green cabbage • ¼ cup sliced red onion • 2 green onions, sliced • ½ avocado, sliced • cilantro, to taste
Directions
• Grill the tortillas on a grill pan or grill, just long enough to get the grill marks. • Place the tuna in a medium bowl and toss with lime juice. • Mix the cabbage and red onion in a small bowl. • Place 2 tortillas on each plate (you will need 2 large plates). • Top each tortilla with ~¼ cup of the cabbage and onion mixture. Place ¼ of the tuna mixture on each tortilla, and top with a few scallions and some cilantro. • Serve ¼ of an avocado on the side of each plate.
2020 Council Calendar
All meetings will be held virtually, unless otherwise noted.
JUNE
2
11th meeting of the InterAmerican Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) Scientific Advisory Committee, La Jolla, CA*
6
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Advisory Panel meeting, Saipan (ChST)
8
United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development’s Virtual Ocean Literacy Summit
9-11
136th Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) meeting
9-11
Capitol Hill Ocean Week*
17-18
General Advisory Committee to the US Section of the IATTC and Scientific Advisory Subcommittee*
22-25
182nd Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council meeting, Honolulu
JULY
13-17
34th Session of the Committee on Fisheries, Rome, Italy*
15-20
20th International Scientific Committee Plenary meeting*
28-31
5th Joint IATTC-Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Northern Committee Working Group on Pacific Bluefin Tuna Management meeting, Fukuoka, Japan
AUGUST
10
South Pacific Albacore Roadmap Intersessional Working Group (in person meeting) (WCPFC), Apia, Samoa*
13-14
IATTC and Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program Annual meetings, La Jolla, CA
SEPTEMBER
9-11
137th SSC, (in person meeting) TBD
15-18
183rd Council meeting, (in person meeting) (TBD: Mariana Archipelago) * Not Western Pacific Regional
Fishery Management Council meetings.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development’s Virtual Ocean
Literacy Summit will be held June 8, 2020. Council staff will be on a panel to discuss the role of ocean literacy in transforming ocean knowledge into action. For more information and to register for the virtual meeting, go to https://education.ocean.org/ olsummit.
136th Scientific and Statistical
Committee meeting will be held June 9 to 11, 2020, via web conference. Visit www.wpcouncil. org/meetings-calendars for more information on the web conference connection and agendas. Major agenda items include the 2019 annual SAFE report; main Hawaiian Island uku fishery review; American Samoa bottomfish fishery status and rebuilding plan; Endangered Species Act consultations; COVID-19 impacts on pelagic fisheries; and status determination of oceanic white tip sharks and striped marlin.
The 182nd meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
will convene June 23 to 25, 2020, via web conference. Major agenda items include COVID-19 regional impacts; community engagement and public relations efforts; review of Guam and PRIA MCPs (action items); stock status determination for oceanic whitetip shark and striped marlin; and 2021 US and Territorial bigeye tuna specifications (final action).
Action Items at the June 2020 Council Meeting
The 182nd meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will convene June 23-25, 2020. The meeting will be held by web conference. For the web conference connection and agenda, go to www. wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars. The Council will consider and may take action on the issues summarized below.
2021 Longline-Caught Bigeye Tuna Catch and Allocation Limits for American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands (CNMI): The US Pacific territories are Participating Territories of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), which develops longlinecaught, bigeye tuna quotas for member countries, such as the United States, operating in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). Participating Territories and Small Island Developing States, however, are not subject to limits in recognition of their aspirations to develop their fisheries. Nonetheless, at a time when bigeye tuna in the WCPO was considered subject to overfishing, the Council recommended and the Secretary of Commerce approved the setting of annual catch limits for longline-caught, bigeye tuna for the US Pacific Territories as well as the authority for the Territories to transfer a portion of their limit to US vessels permitted under the Council’s Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) for the Western Pacific Region. At its 182nd meeting, the Council will consider the catch and allocation limits for the Territories for 2021. The bigeye stock is currently considered to be neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing based on the 2017 stock assessment and its 2018 update.
Guam and Pacific Remote Island Areas Marine
Conservation Plans: The Marine Conservation Plans (MCPs) for Guam and the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIAs) expire in 2020. At its 182nd meeting, the Council will review the new draft MCPs for their consistency with the Council’s Mariana Archipelago and PRIA FEPs. After review by the Council, the MCPs are transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for approval. The Guam MCP is developed by the governor of Guam and outlines projects that can be funded by forfeitures from illegal foreign fishing in the US exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters around Guam or by funds deposited in the Western Pacific Sustainable Fisheries Fund (WPSFF) as a result of Guam’s allocation of a portion of its longline-caught bigeye tuna annual limit to US vessels that are federally permitted and other sources. The PRIA MCP is developed by the Council and outlines projects that can be funded through the WPSFF from forfeitures from illegal foreign fishing in the US EEZ around the PRIAs and other sources. The PRIAs include Howland and Baker Islands, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island. Approved MCPs are valid for a period of three years and can be modified at any time and resubmitted for approval.
