Wespac Releases Report on Status of Western Pacific Region Fisheries
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac) on Sept. 11 released its 2023 Western Pacific Region Status of the Fisheries report, which highlights some of the changes in U.S. Pacific Island fisheries from 2021 through 2023.
Bottomfishing in some parts of Hawaii was slow due to poor conditions potentially associated with the Kona weather pattern, according to the report, but fishers noted good recruitment with larger opakapaka around Oahu and abundant ehu and gindai fish around Kauai.
University of Hawaii data showed a decrease in active commercial harvesters and trips, but landings of Deep 7 bottomfish species were up by over 8,000 pounds from the previous year to just over 197,000 pounds.
American Samoa’s bottomfish fishery had a total estimated catch of 4,689 pounds after less than half of that amount the previous two years. This marked the first increase in landings that fishery which has been declining since 2015, according to the report.
In the Northern Mariana Islands, Typhoon Mawar in May presented challenging ocean conditions that limited fishing, but conditions did improve post-storm. The report noted that high fuel prices continued to strain fisheries and that ongoing military activity across the archipelago also impacted fishing access and effort.
Bottomfish landings in Guam declined slightly to 25,713 pounds, well under the current annual catch limit of 31,000 pounds specified in the council’s rebuilding plan. This catch value is consistent with historical 10-and-20-year averages for the fishery, the report said.
The council noted that fishery statistics may be influenced by many factors, including environmental changes and socioeconomic variables. In recent years, major climate events and the lingering impacts and ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic also affected regional fisheries in several ways.
Some of these effects are described, in addition to recent stock statuses and management measures.
The report noted that similar to the previous year, fuel prices remained a key factor influencing fishing behavior in 2023.
All island areas experienced relatively higher fuel prices, ranging from an average of $4.36 a gallon in American Samoa to an average $5.41 per gallon in the Northern Mariana Islands, with some areas reaching up to $7.50 a gallon.
Although fuel prices were relatively consistent or slightly decreased from 2022 and 2023, the substantial increases observed from 2021 to 2022 had lasting effects, the report said.
Small boat fishery participants noted that they have observed harvesters taking fewer and/or shorter fishing trips to help reduce their fuel expenses. In Hawaii’s longline fisheries, fuel comprised over half of trip costs, with remaining expenses covering bait, ice, gear, food for crew and vessel maintenance.
The full 16-page report can be seen and downloaded at https://tinyurl.com/3uywwsry.
