Hawaii FEP - Western Pacific Fishery Council

• All Pacific sea turtles including the following: olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelysolivacea), leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), hawksbill turtles(Eretmochelys imbricata), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and green sea turtles (Cheloniamydas).• The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), sperm whale (Physetermacrocephalus), blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), fin whale (B. physalus), and seiwhale (B. borealis). In addition, one endangered pinniped, the Hawaiian monk seal(Monachus schauinslandi).ESA consultations were conducted by NMFS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (for speciesunder their jurisdiction) to ensure ongoing fisheries operations —including the bottomfish andseamount groundfish fishery, the crustacean fishery, and the harvest of precious corals and coralreef species—are not jeopardizing the continued existence of any listed species or adverselymodifying critical habitat. The results of these consultations, conducted under section 7 of theESA, are briefly described below. Implementation of this FEP would not result in any additionalmeasures not previously analyzed. Therefore, the Council believes that there would be noadditional impacts to any listed species or habitat.Section 7 ConsultationsIn a biological opinion issued in March 2002 NMFS concluded that the ongoing operation of theWestern Pacific Region’s bottomfish and seamount fisheries, as managed under the Bottomfishand Seamount Groundfish FMP, was not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of anythreatened or endangered species under NMFS’s jurisdiction or destroy or adversely modify anycritical habitat (NMFS 2002a). This determination was made pursuant to section 7 of the ESA.A biological opinion issued in March 2008 examined the impacts of MHI bottomfish fisheriesand concluded that they are likely to adversely affect up to two green sea turtles each year but arenot likely to jeopardize the species or adversely affect any other ESA-listed species or criticalhabitat (NMFS 2008).The management and conservation measures contained in this FEP for targeting bottomfish orseamount groundfish species are being carried forth from the Bottomfish and SeamountGroundfish FMP and no additional measures are proposed at this time. Therefore, the Councilbelieves that the proposed bottomfish and seamount groundfish fishing activities under this FEPare not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any threatened or endangered speciesunder NMFS’s jurisdiction or destroy or adversely modify critical habitat.A biological opinion issued by NMFS in May 1996 concluded that the ongoing operation of theWestern Pacific Region’s crustacean fisheries were not likely to jeopardize the continuedexistence of any threatened or endangered species or destroy or adversely modify critical habitat(NMFS 1996).An informal consultation completed by NMFS in April 2008 concluded that Hawaii Archipelagocrustacean fisheries are not likely to adversely affect any ESA-listed species or critical habitat.229