Hawai'i Fisheries Initiative - The Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs

u Marine Debris Research, Prevention,
and Reduction Act – Signed into law
in 2006, the act establishes programs
to identify, assess, reduce, and prevent
marine debris and its effects on the marine
environment and navigation safety. The act,
which was introduced by Hawai‘i Senator
Daniel Inouye, is implemented via NOAA’s
Marine Debris Prevention and Removal
Program, with coordination between the
EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard. The act
specifically targets fishing gear as a threat
to the marine environment and navigation
safety, and authorizes and funds research
and development of alternative types of
fishing gear to enhance the tracking and
recovery of discarded gear. 419
u Coastal Zone Management Act 420 – Act was
enacted in 1972 to encourage coastal states
to develop comprehensive programs to
manage and balance competing uses of and
impacts to coastal resources. Section 307 of
the CZMA, called the federal consistency
provision, is a major incentive for states
to join the national coastal management
program, and is a powerful tool that
states use to manage coastal uses and
resources and to facilitate cooperation and
coordination with federal agencies. Under
authority of the CZMA, NOAA’s Office of
Ocean and Coastal Resource Management
works with state coastal resource managers
to develop marine protected areas 421 (MPAs)
and restore coral reef ecosystems.
u Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 422 –
Act was enacted to preserve, sustain,
and restore coral reef ecosystems and
to promote their wise management and
sustainable use. The act funds conservation
programs, including projects that involve
local communities and non-governmental
organizations. The implementation plan
calls for focus on mapping and information
management; research, monitoring, and
assessment; international issues; education;
and local strategies developed by the states
or regional fisheries councils.
Federal Agencies Overseeing
Fisheries Management
Department of Commerce/NOAA’s
National Marine Fisheries Service –
NMFS is the lead agency in managing and
conserving living marine resources within
the U.S. EEZ. NMFS provides scientific
and policy leadership in the international
arena, and plays a key role in the
management of living marine resources
in coastal areas under state jurisdiction.
NMFS implements science-based conservation
and management measures and
actions aimed at sustaining long-term use
and promoting the health of coastal and
marine ecosystems. 423 NMFS publishes the
annual Status of U.S. Fisheries Report to
Congress. 424
NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office –
PIRO manages programs that support
both domestic and international conservation
and management of living marine
resources. Bounded by the Hawaiian
Archipelago in the north, American Samoa
and U.S. Pacific remote island areas in
the south, and the Mariana’s Archipelago,
including Guam, in the west, the Pacific
Islands Region encompasses the largest
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