Westpac to decide on fishing in the Monuments and seafood policy

HONOLULU — At its 204th meeting this week, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will decide whether to recommend lifting commercial fishing prohibitions in parts of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.

On April 17, 2025, President Donald Trump issued Proclamation 10918, “Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific.” The Proclamation recognized that well-managed commercial fishing would not threaten the monument’s scientific and historic resources. The Secretary of Commerce was directed to remove the prohibitions on commercial fishing barring U.S. fishermen from sustainably harvesting valuable species in these waters for more than a decade.

Fishing regulations for the Hawai‘i longline fleet have been in place since 1991 under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The Council may consider additional regulations to reopen access from 50 to 200 nautical miles around Wake, Johnston and Jarvis Islands — waters where U.S. fishermen harvested bottomfish, pelagic species and crustaceans before the 2014 prohibitions. Members will also review their request to the Secretary of Commerce to allow commercial fishing in Rose Atoll, Marianas Trench Islands Unit and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monuments.

The Governors of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and American Samoa have asked the President to restore fishing access to the monuments in their areas.

The Council meeting provides the public an opportunity to weigh in on how the United States balances conservation with responsible, sustainable fishing access.

In addition to monument fishing access, the Council will discuss a wide range of issues affecting Pacific fisheries — from local catch limits and community concerns to climate adaptation, electronic monitoring and international negotiations that shape the future of seafood supply.

COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL FISHERIES AT A CROSSROADS

Island communities will present their latest reports on the state of fisheries, highlighting economic pressures, infrastructure challenges and local initiatives. The Council will consider catch limits in 2026-2029 for CNMI bottomfish based on the latest scientific assessments, and hear concerns from Hawai‘i small-boat fishers about gear conflicts and shark depredation. 

ADAPTING TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS AND BUILDING RESILIENCE

Through projects funded under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Council is helping Pacific fisheries prepare for a changing environment. Members will receive updates on scenario planning for longline and small-boat fisheries, regulatory reviews aimed at making management more flexible, and workshops exploring climate-driven impacts on protected species. Community engagement remains at the heart of these projects, ensuring that local voices guide adaptation strategies.

MODERNIZING MONITORING AND STRENGTHENING ACCOUNTABILITY

As fisheries move toward electronic monitoring and new vessel management plans, the Council will evaluate progress in Hawai‘i and American Samoa longline fleets. These advances aim to improve transparency and data collection while reducing costs currently covered by NMFS through 2027, and improving monitoring of rare events like protected species interactions.

GLOBAL FISHERIES, LOCAL IMPACTS

International negotiations on tuna, shark and bycatch management have direct consequences for Pacific Island fisheries. The Council will hear outcomes from advisory bodies to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

Members will discuss import provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, yet to be implemented since Congress approved the Act in 1972. The provisions are intended to prevent imports of foreign fishery products that lack protections equivalent to the MMPA to reduce bycatch and protect marine mammals. New findings published Sept. 2, 2025, will be enforced starting Jan. 1, 2026, barring imports of seafood (such as tuna) from non-compliant nations. The Council will discuss whether the findings are adequate and where there are any impacts to local markets in the U.S. Pacific Islands.