Press Release-Council Advances Sea Turtle Actions, Finalizes Fishing Recommendations (18 September 2026)
News Release from Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, 18 September 2026
HONOLULU (18 September 2026) The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council yesterday called on federal agencies to move forward with long-awaited green sea turtle status reviews in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and American Samoa — an important step in addressing Pacific Island requests for the restoration of traditional cultural harvest.
“Populations of green sea turtles in the territories are listed as endangered under the ESA,” said CNMI Council member Sylvan Igisomar. “However, an international body of sea turtle experts [IUCN] has determined that they are of least concern — essentially saying they are no longer threatened. We’re looking forward to working with this Administration to address our requests.”
The Council requested the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expedite reviews of the green sea turtle distinct population segments associated with the three U.S. Pacific territories. NMFS Regional Administrator Sarah Malloy said a status review is needed to determine whether a population meets the criteria for downlisting or delisting.
The Council will ask the secretaries of Commerce, the Interior and State to consider renegotiating or withdrawing from the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles (IAC). Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds said the convention remains an obstacle to addressing cultural harvest.
“This Convention undermines U.S. law, which is the ESA, because it prevents us from actually allowing a cultural harvest,” Simonds said. “It’s either renegotiating and adding the exemption for cultural harvest, or leave the Convention.”
Longline Sea Turtle Measures
After discussing sea turtle measures affecting the Hawai‘i shallow-set and American Samoa longline fisheries earlier in the meeting, the Council finalized recommendations to evaluate potential regulatory changes. Existing regulations remain in place while alternatives are developed and analyzed.
For the Hawai‘i shallow-set fishery, the Council will prepare an amendment for action in December with final action in March 2027. The analysis will include economic impacts from existing trip limits and the effect of a crew training program begun in 2024 on the condition of loggerhead and leatherback turtles released from fishing gear.
Hawai‘i Council member Eric Kingma said the shallow-set fishery has undergone extensive management changes over the years and supplies about half of the U.S. swordfish production.
“It is worth continuing to review the measures if the science shows there would be little impact,” Kingma said.
The Council also requested timely NMFS analyses needed for the action, including any ESA consultation, and coordination with scientists updating North Pacific loggerhead and Western Pacific leatherback population assessments.
For the American Samoa longline fishery, the Council approved a similar review, with initial action planned for December and final action in March. The review will include consulting with fishermen on the operational impacts of sea turtle measures established under the Council’s Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan Amendment 5.
The Council requested the NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center use available observer data to evaluate the effects of Amendment 5 on turtle interactions and target and nontarget catch, including silky and oceanic whitetip sharks.
Papahānaumokuākea Actions Finalized
The Council also finalized recommendations on fishing in Papahānaumokuākea.
For bottomfish, the Council will work with NMFS, its Scientific & Statistical Committee and fishermen to develop an experimental fishing permit to collect information needed to support sustainable fisheries in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and National Marine Sanctuary.
The Council will continue to review existing Magnuson-Stevens Act regulations to determine whether changes to management measures are needed.
In response to NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries request for fishing regulations, the Council concluded existing federal fishery regulations meet the purposes and policies of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the sanctuary’s goals and objectives. These include limited-access programs, gear restrictions, catch limits, protected species mitigation measures and prohibited-area management. Therefore, additional sanctuary-specific fishing regulations are unnecessary.
Reference: Wallace, B.P. & Broderick, A.C. 2025. Chelonia mydas (Green Turtle). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025.
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Request For Proposals: Experimental Fishing Permit for NWHI Bottomfish (Proposals Due: Oct. 10, 2026)
News Release from Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, 23 September 2026
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, established under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), has the responsibility for preparing management plans for those fisheries within its jurisdiction and the high seas. The Council has authority over the management of fisheries in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone waters off of the Territories of American Samoa and Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the State of Hawai‘i.
The restoration of fishing in the Pacific Islands marine national monuments by President Trump’s Proclamation 11035 provided for “commercial fishing conducted in areas of national monuments where such fishing was prohibited under previous proclamations shall remain subject to all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, including under Magnuson-Stevens.” In the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), regulations controlling commercial fishing were established in the 1980s and added through the early 2000s. In the last two decades after the monument’s designation, the void of commercial fishing in the NWHI necessitates a review of the existing federal regulations to ensure the commercial bottomfish fishery can operate under today’s circumstances.
The Council, ats 208th meeting, reviewed the previous management structure in place for bottomfish and pelagic fisheries in the NWHI to determine if the regulations are sufficient, need to be revised, or if additional management measures are necessary. As the Council considers future changes to the NWHI bottomfish management regime, it recommended staff work with NMFS, Council advisors, and interested fishermen to develop an Experimental Fishing Permit (EFP) to collect fishery-dependent data to support sustainable management of bottomfish fisheries in the NWHI. The Council is looking to contract services to develop the EFP to use experienced bottomfish fishermen to collect important fishery information from the NWHI.
CONTRACT SERVICE: This is a time and materials-based contract. Proposals must include an hourly rate for all individuals included in the project(s).
CONTRACT PERIOD: The contract will begin after October 15, 2026, and end December 15, 2026.
SCOPE OF WORK: The contractor will work closely with Council staff to develop an EFP to collect timely bottomfish fishery data from the NWHI. The contractor, in close coordination with staff, will:
Work with Council staff, NMFS, advisors and fishing community form a project team that will develop a proposal to collect important biological information on federally managed species, fishery performance data (catch and effort), economic information (trip costs, fuel, bait, ice, crew, etc.), and other critical information as determined by the project team;
Research and prepare a draft EFP application package consistent with the project team’s goals, objectives and identified data needs;
Prepare written reports/presentations on findings to Executive Director, Council and the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), as directed; and
Work on other issues as identified by the Executive Director.
Performance Period: October 15, 2026, to December 15, 2026.
ELIGIBILITY: The potential contractor must:
Possess a detailed working knowledge of the MSA and other policies, regulations, and guidance documents relating to marine resource management and conservation in the Pacific Islands Region;
Be familiar with the responsibilities of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council as well as Pacific Island community cultures and natural resources;
Be familiar with federal fishery agencies, and fishing and seafood communities in Hawai‘i;
Have knowledge of current fisheries science, research, data collection and management, U.S. Pacific Islands cultures, state and federal fishery agencies, marine conservation, management and environmental laws and use of technology in today’s fisheries;
Have the ability to communicate and work effectively with staff, institutions and agency fishery scientists, fishery administrators and the fishing community;
Have the ability to plan, organize and successfully complete work in situations that require coordination and management of numerous diverse demands and tasks, attention to detail and deliver high-quality products under short timelines;
Have demonstrated proficiency in oral and written communications and standard personal computer software; and
Be able to participate in Council, SSC and/or other advisory body meetings.
REQUIREMENTS: The contractor will work independently and coordinate with the Executive Director to meet deliverable timelines. Proposals must include an hourly billing rate for each individual working on the project and will be evaluated on a competitive basis based on meeting eligibility criteria as stated above. Selected contractor will begin the contract in October 2026 and must complete the project by December 15, 2026.
HOW TO APPLY: Submissions should include a proposal including the following items (maximum 3 pages): a. Name, affiliation, and contact information of the principal contractor(s); b. Brief statement on contractor’s experience and ability to address the requirements as stated in the Scope of Work; c. Estimated time required to effectively support the Scope of Work; and d. Curriculum vitae or resume for each project participant (does not count toward the 3-page limit).
Proposals may be submitted by e-mail (attach materials in PDF format) to info@wpcouncil.org or by mail to: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400 Honolulu, HI 96813.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Proposals will be welcome until October 10, 2026, or until a contractor is engaged.
View or download the printable PDF.