Fishery council considers hardships of Guam fishermen

TUMON, Guam—The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, which has authority over federally managed fisheries in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,, and the US Pacific remote island areas, concluded its four-day meeting in Tumon, Guam, on Friday.
The Council heard from Guam fishermen about ongoing cumulative impacts on their fishing communities. Lack of access to safe and unpolluted fishing grounds, shark depredation, rising fuel costs, lack of fisheries support, competition from citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, and Endangered Species Act initiatives were among the plethora of complaints presented to the Council.

Manuel Duenas, president of the Guam Fishermen’s Cooperative, said the situation is at the point where he is ready to quit fishing. He noted that shark depredation, as well as the cost for fuel and fishing supplies, has increased and is negatively impacting Guam’s fishing community.

“We don’t have an industry, it’s a community,” he said, noting that fishermen sell only a few fish to cover expenses and the rest is distributed to feed family and neighbors.

Aside from limited access to fishing grounds due to weather and geography, fishermen said the military, marine protected areas, and pollution significantly restrict their access to safe waters where they can fish. It was noted that 13 persons have drowned in Guam since the Council’s last meeting in October 2013, in part due to fishermen having to travel farther to reach permitted fishing areas, many times under inclement and unsafe conditions.

“Do not oppress the people who put food on the table,” said Ernest T. Chargualaf, mayor of Merizo (Malesso). He stated that when Guam’s marine preserves were established, there was supposed to be open rotation. He also said the Guam Department of Agriculture is spending more money addressing deer, which were imported to Guam, than it is on fish, which are a native food source.

Another impact is the ongoing competition with fishermen from FSM, who are allowed to reside in Guam and other areas of the United States as part of FSM’s Compact of Free Association with the United States. Fishermen also worried about potential impacts from the proposed listing of 66 species of coral under the ESA, Apra Harbor dredging impacts on coral and fish habitat, and the ocean disposal site 15 miles offshore that may receive 1 million cubic yards of dredged material annually, among other concerns.

The council responded to the public comments, scientific presentations and advisory group recommendations with the following actions, among others:

* To work with the appropriate Guam agencies to provide for adequate fishing opportunities through fishing infrastructure such as boat ramps in Ylig and Inarajan, as well as fishing aggregation devices, fishing platforms, fishing ramps and access areas in Hagatna, Agat, and Merizo.
* To assist Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources with issues related to FAD design, deployment and permits.
* To request that the Guam Department of Agriculture provide access to the Guam marine preserves for the University of Guam’s 4-H fish tagging project.
* To recommend that the National Marine Fisheries Service prioritize cooperative shark research in the Marianas and provide funding and support for proposals for shark depredation studies.
* To work with NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and Guam to convene a data collection information workshop for fish vendors in Guam and provide assistance in developing an incentive program to enhance fishery data collection participation.
* To support the efforts of and community-based management plan for coastal and marine resources developed by the Malesso community and to assist the mayor’s office in implementation efforts as needed as well as community outreach efforts.
* To facilitate dialogue with the village of Yigo, and other Guam villages in developing a plan to enhance the village fishing access infrastructure as well as to address safety at sea concerns.
* To work with the government of Guam on addressing the impacts of fishing by Compact of Free Association country residents.

During the public comment period on non-agenda items, students from two Guam high schools and Guam Community College advocated for a Guam shark sanctuary. Council senior scientist Paul Dalzell talked to the students about environmental consequences of management decisions. Council chair Arnold Palacios thanked them for taking the time to participate in the council’s public participatory process and noted that their comments are valued. (PR)