Fishing body urged to rethink decision

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has rebuked the National Marine Fisheries Service for its disapproval of the implementation of closed areas around the American Samoa islands to exclude large domestic fishing vessels.

In a strongly-worded resolution passed last week, the 12-member Council branded as capricious and arbitrary the NMFS decision which was meant to protect the US purse seine interests at the expense of the American Samoa longline fishery.

The Western Pacific Council is the policy-making body for fisheries in the Western Pacific Region, including American Samoa, Hawaii, the Northern Mariana Islands and other US islands in the Pacific.

Council members asked the US Secretary of Commerce to immediately reverse what they described as an ill-conceived decision of NMFS within 30 days upon receipt of the resolution.

The closed area would have prohibited vessels greater than 50 ft in length from 50/30 nautical miles around the islands of American Samoa to protect the interest of American Samoan small fishermen.

Such measure was developed at the request of American Samoa Council members in 1997 to protect their emerging small-boat longline fishery. Local fishermen, who fish predominantly from small 30 ft. catamarans using simple hand deployed longline gear, were afraid that larger US longline vessels would move to American Samoa, resulting in the marginalization.

Originally, American Samoa Council members were asking for a 100 nautical mile closed area to extend around all their islands and exclude all fishing vessels greater than 50 ft. that are targeting tuna, billfish and other tuna-like or pelagic fishes.

Following objections from NMFS, the area was reduced to 50 nautical miles around the main archipelago of American Samoa and 30 nautical miles around the Swains Island. The Council members were expecting that the compromise would lead to the approval of NMFS.

In denying the request of American Samoa Council members, the NMFS claimed it would jeopardize impending negotiations under both the South Pacific Tuna Treaty and the Multi-lateral High Level Conference to Conserve and Manage Highly Migratory Species in the Central and Western Pacific.

The NMFS disapproval which was announced three days before the 99th Council meeting was held, drew sharp criticism from its members saying it undermines the partnership between the Western Pacific Council and NMFS.

At the same time, the Council demanded that NMFS leadership show greater sensibility toward the unique political, social and economic circumstances confronting the US Flag Territories and Commonwealths as they strive for self-reliance and self-determination.

Current chairman of the Council is James Cook of Hawaii, vice chairs are Aitofele Sunia, American Samoas; Judith Guthertz, Guam; Frank Farm, Hawaii; and Arnold Palacios, CNMI.