Westpac Scientific Committee recommends CNMI bottomfish catch

HONOLULU — (September 15, 2025) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) concluded its 157th meeting this week, providing key scientific recommendations to the Council on bottomfish management, climate impacts, bycatch and new ocean research issues.

The SSC recommended setting the acceptable biological catch (ABC) for the CNMI bottomfish fishery for 2026–2029 at 72,000 pounds. This was based on a NMFS 2025 stock assessment update and revised uncertainty analyses. The assessment found that the fishery is healthy, with neither overfishing occurring nor the stock overfished. Average catches in recent years have been well below the recommended ABC, reducing the risk of exceeding sustainable limits. 

Beyond bottomfish, the SSC advanced several other areas of importance. 

RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR 2026

After reviewing research priorities, the SSC agreed the most pressing areas for 2026 are: (1) mitigation of depredation, notably from sharks, (2) the need to improve false killer whale stock assessments to reflect the range of the stock, and (3) the need to evaluate impacts of large closed areas, such as marine national monuments. These priorities address the top management challenges that the region’s small-boat fisheries, as well as longline fisheries, face in advancing sustainable U.S. fisheries, ensuring food security and supporting the resilience of Pacific Island communities.

Shark depredation on catch in small-boat fisheries has become a pervasive problem across the region. The SSC heard a presentation from Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology researchers on their plans for studies aimed at reducing depredation in fisheries and improving human safety. Experiments are testing a range of devices, with a focus on electromagnetic stimuli. While encouraged by this line of research, the SSC noted the importance of linking new tools with fishery-specific applications.

The SSC also recommended revising the Council’s 2025-2029 Research Priorities Plan to strengthen fishery efficiency, promote development and build capacity in the region. These recommendations respond to recent executive orders that call for removing barriers to U.S. fisheries, such as restrictions in monument waters and burdensome regulations, and improving the global competitiveness of American fisheries.

DEEP-SEA MINING AND FISHERIES IMPACTS

The SSC heard two contrasting presentations on seabed mining. University of Hawai‘i Professor Dr. Jeff Drazen outlined risks from traditional mining methods, including massive sediment plumes, toxic metal release and long-term seafloor damage — all of which could affect fisheries and seafood safety. Impossible Metals described a proposed project in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around American Samoa using autonomous robots to selectively collect nodules without plumes or heavy seafloor disturbance. While potentially less harmful, uncertainties remain.

SPATIAL CLOSURE IMPACTS ON PROTECTED SPECIES

The SSC reviewed a recently published study on the Southern Exclusion Zone (SEZ) closure near the main Hawaiian Islands, established to reduce false killer whale interactions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The SSC concluded that the study provides empirical evidence that the SEZ closures can have potential unintended effects of effort displacement on protected species interactions. While the analysis showed no clear effect on false killer whale interactions, the interaction risk with other protected species increased as a result of the closure. This effect was pronounced for species found in higher densities to the south of the SEZ, such as oceanic whitetip sharks and olive ridley turtles. The SSC recommended that potential unintended impacts on protected species be evaluated when designing future spatial measures. 

IMPROVING STOCK ASSESSMENTS FOR MULTI-SPECIES FISHERIES

The SSC endorsed an updated regional framework for bottomfish assessments and recommended further investment in advanced modeling approaches that account for fisher behavior, costs and environmental variability.

COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS IN SCIENCE

The SSC adopted guiding principles for incorporating ecological, social, cultural, and economic information into its recommendations, ensuring that indigenous and fishing community knowledge is considered alongside scientific data.

The Council will consider the SSC’s recommendations at its 204th meeting starting tomorrow, where it will make final decisions on catch levels and other management actions.

(Source: The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council)