Hawaii FEP - Western Pacific Fishery Council

Of particular interest to the Council is the implementation of measures to address: (1) fishingactivities that may degrade coral reef ecosystems, such as overfishing, which could affectecosystem processes (e.g., the removal of herbivorous fishes leading to the overgrowth of coralsby algae) and destroy the availability of coral reef resources (e.g., extraction of spawningaggregations of groupers); (2) destructive fishing techniques, which can degrade EFH and arethereby counter to the Magnuson-Stevens Act; (3) removal of reef substrata; and (4) discardedand/or derelict fishing gear, which can degrade EFH and cause ghost fishing.@To meet the requirements of Executive Order 13089, the Coral Reef Task Force issued theNational Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs in March 2000. In response to therecommendations outlined in the Action Plan, President Clinton announced Executive Order13158, which is designed to strengthen and expand Marine Protected Areas.8.14 Papahanaumokuakea Marine National MonumentIn June, 2006, President Bush issued a proclamation establishing the Northwestern HawaiianIslands Marine National Monument, since renamed Papahanaumokuakea Marine NationalMonument, a status which significantly affects the NWHI commercial fishing operations. TheNational monument designation superseded the proposed NWHI National Marine Sanctuary.The President’s proclamation calls for the closure of commercial fisheries, including the limitedentry crustacean fishery within the Monument’s boundaries immediately and of the NWHIbottomfish fishery by June 15, 2011. Native Hawaiian cultural practices, including sustenancefishing may, however, be permitted to continue. Although the commercial bottomfish andassociated pelagic fishing operations in the NWHI may continue over the five-year period, theyare subject to landing limits of 350,000 pounds of bottomfish and 180,000 pounds of pelagic fishwhich may be landed within a given year. Furthermore, until June 15, 2011 when commercialfishing will be prohibited in the monument, all bottomfish fishing operations in the NWHI mustcomply with new monument regulations including area closures, vessel monitoring and reportingrequirements in addition to existing regulations.235