MINUTES OF THE 176th MEETING OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC REGIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL March 19-21, 2019 Laniakea YWCA, Fuller Hall 1040 Richards Street Honolulu, HI 96813 Approved by Council: Taotasi Archie Soliai, Chair Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council Table of Contents I. Welcome and Introductions ................................................................................................ 1 II. Approval of the 176th Agenda ............................................................................................. 2 III. Approval of the 174th and 175th Meeting Minutes .............................................................. 2 IV. Executive Director’s Report ............................................................................................... 2 V. Agency Reports ................................................................................................................... 3 A. National Marine Fisheries Service .......................................................................... 3 1. Pacific Islands Regional Office .................................................................. 3 2. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center..................................................... 3 a) Status of Council Research Priority for the FY 2020 Annual Guidance Memo .............................................................................. 5 B. NOAA Office of General Counsel, Pacific Islands Section ................................... 5 C. US State Department............................................................................................... 6 D. US Fish and Wildlife Service ................................................................................. 6 E. Enforcement ............................................................................................................ 7 1. US Coast Guard .......................................................................................... 7 2. NOAA Office of Law Enforcement ............................................................ 9 3. NOAA Office of General Counsel, Enforcement Section ........................ 12 F. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 14 G. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 15 VI. Hawaii Archipelago and Pacific Remote Island Areas ..................................................... 15 A. Moku Pepa ............................................................................................................ 15 B. Legislative Report ................................................................................................. 20 C. Enforcement Issues ............................................................................................... 20 D. Bottomfish Restricted Fishing Areas Removal Report ......................................... 20 i E. Main Hawaiian Islands Kona Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment WPSAR Report ..................................................................................................... 21 F. Benchmark Stock Assessment for the Main Hawaiian Islands Kona Crab with Catch Projections for 2020-2024 .......................................................................... 22 G. Hawaii Charter Fishery Cost Earning Survey (2012) Report ............................... 22 H. RPL Study Group Meeting Reports ...................................................................... 23 I. Education and Outreach Initiatives ....................................................................... 24 J. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 25 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 25 2. Scientific & Statistical Committee............................................................ 25 K. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 26 L. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 26 VII. Protected Species .............................................................................................................. 28 A. Discussion Paper on Seabird Bycatch Mitigation Measures ................................ 28 B. Status of the False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team Recommendations ........ 31 C. Updates on Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act Actions .................................................................................................................. 34 D. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 35 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 35 2. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 35 E. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 37 F. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 37 VIII. Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items ........................................................................... 40 IX. Program Planning and Research ....................................................................................... 40 A. Legislative Report ................................................................................................. 40 B. Report on Saltanstall-Kennedy Grant Review ...................................................... 41 ii C. Scientific and Statistical Committee Working Group Reports ............................. 44 1. Blue Ocean MPA Subgroup Report .......................................................... 44 2. Modern Fish Act Subgroup Report ........................................................... 45 D. MSRA Five Year Research Priority 2020-2024 ................................................... 45 E. NOAA Climate Science Workshop and Regional Action Plan Reports ............... 46 F. Regional, National and International Outreach and Education ............................ 47 G. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 48 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 48 2. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 48 H. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 49 I. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 49 X. Pelagic and International Fisheries ................................................................................... 52 A. American Samoa Longline Annual Fishery Report .............................................. 52 B. Hawai'i Longline Annual Fishery Report ............................................................. 54 C. Hawai'i Shallow-Set Longline Fishery ................................................................. 56 1. Status of the Hawai'i Shallow-set Longline ESA Consultation ................ 56 2. Managing Loggerhead and Leatherback Sea Turtle Interactions in the Hawai'i-based Shallow-Set Longline Fishery (Final Action) ................... 56 D. US Participating Territory Longline Bigeye Limits (Final Action)...................... 59 E. International Fisheries ........................................................................................... 62 1. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission ............................................. 62 a) Tuna Growth Workshop ............................................................... 62 b) Tuna Stock Assessment Workshop ............................................... 63 2. Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission 15 ............................ 63 3. 2018 Workshop on Identifying the Spatial Stock Structure of Tropical Pacific Tuna Stocks................................................................................... 64 iii 4. North Pacific Fisheries Commission ........................................................ 65 5. 7th Meeting- South Pacific Regional Fishery Management Organization 66 6. UN Intergovernmental Conference on Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction ................................................................................................ 66 F. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 67 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 67 2. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 67 G. Standing Committee Recommendations ............................................................... 67 H. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 68 I. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 68 XI. American Samoa Archipelago .......................................................................................... 70 A. Motu Lipoti ........................................................................................................... 71 B. Fono Report .........................................................................................................