HONOLULU, HI / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2020 / The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC) delivered a letter to the White House thanking President Trump for his recent executive order promoting domestic seafood. The Council also recommended several regulations, specifically related to the Pacific marine monuments, for the Administration to consider lifting as part of the order.
"Fishing restrictions in the Pacific marine national monuments are impeding America's three main tuna fisheries in the Pacific and the StarKist tuna cannery in American Samoa from operating at optimal levels," the letter states. "These fishing restrictions are unnecessary as they have no proven conservation benefit."
Specifically, the Council requested that the White House allow for U.S. fishing vessels in Hawaii to fish in the areas of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), 51 percent of which is part of a marine monument, under the rules of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The Council also requests that the White House consider revising some of the stricter regulations dictating how vessels operate, such as gear requirements, vessel size limits, fleet size limits, and observer and vessel monitoring requirements. Doing so would allow for a more level playing field between American fishermen and the international competition they face in the Western Pacific.
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SOURCE: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council