Environmental Assessment for a Rule to Implement Decisions of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission for: Fishing Restrictions regarding the Oceanic Whitetip Shark, the Whale Shark, and the Silky Shark Prepared by: National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Regional Office Contact Information: Dr. Charles Karnella, International Fisheries Administrator National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Regional Office NOAA Inouye Regional Center 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 176 Honolulu, HI 96818 Tel: (808) 725-5000 Fax: (808) 725-5215 E-mail: [email protected] RIN 0648-BD44 July 2014 U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service List of Abbreviations and Acronyms CCM Commission Members, Cooperating Non-Members, and Participating Territories CCAMLR Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CFR Code of Federal Regulations CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CMM Conservation and Management Measure CNMI Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands CNPO Central North Pacific Ocean CPUE Catch per Unit of Effort Convention Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean Convention Area Area of Application of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid DPS Distinct Population Segment EA Environmental Assessment EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EFH Essential Fish Habitat ENSO El Niño – Southern Oscillation EPO Eastern Pacific Ocean ESA Endangered Species Act FAD Fish Aggregating Device FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FEP Fishery Ecosystem Plan FFA Forum Fisheries Agency FMP Fishery Management Plan GFCM General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean HAPC Habitat Areas of Particular Concern HMS Highly Migratory Species IATTC Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission ICCAT International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas IOPA Sharks International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks 2 IOTC Indian Ocean Tuna Commission IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act MSA Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act NAFO Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization NEAFC North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NWR National Wildlife Refuge NWSAA National Wildlife System Administration Act of 1966 Pelagics FEP Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pacific Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region PNA Parties to the Nauru Agreement RFMO Regional Fishery Management Organization ROP Regional Observer Programme RPL Regional Purse Seine Logsheet SCA Shark Conservation Act of 2010 SEAFO South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization SFPA Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000 SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community SPTA South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988 SPTT or Treaty South Pacific Tuna Treaty (formally, the Treaty on Fisheries between the Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America) SST Sea Surface Temperature USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service UV Ultraviolet Radiation WCPFC Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, also known as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission WCPFCIA Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act WCPO Western and Central Pacific Ocean WPFMC Western Pacific Fishery Management Council 3 Table of Contents List of Abbreviations and Acronyms .............................................................................................. 2 Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 4 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. 7 List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 1 Introduction and Purpose and Need .............................................................................. 9 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................... 9 1.2 Purpose and Need ................................................................................................................ 12 1.3 Organization of This Document .......................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2 Proposed Action and Alternatives ................................................................................ 14 2.1 Proposed Action .................................................................................................................. 14 2.2 Alternatives Considered in Detail ....................................................................................... 15 2.3 Alternatives Excluded from Detailed Analysis ................................................................... 16 Chapter 3 Affected Environment .................................................................................................. 17 3.1 Overview of Sharks and International Fisheries ................................................................. 17 3.2 U.S. Fisheries in the WCPO and Sharks ............................................................................. 18 3.2.1 U.S. WCPO Purse Seine Fishery .................................................................................. 19 3.2.2 U.S. WCPO Longline Fisheries .................................................................................... 23 3.2.3 Hawaii Troll Fishery ..................................................................................................... 28 3.2.4 Guam Troll Fishery ...................................................................................................... 29 3.2.5 American Samoa Troll Fishery..................................................................................... 30 3.2.6 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Troll Fishery .................................. 31 3.2.7 Other WCPO HMS fisheries ........................................................................................ 32 3.3 Sharks in the WCPO ........................................................................................................... 33 3.3.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................... 33 3.3.2 Focus Species ............................................................................................................... 34 3.3.3 Current Conservation Concerns and Measures ............................................................ 48 3.3.4 Recent U.S. Shark Management Measures .................................................................. 53 4 3.3.5 Post Release Survival Rates ......................................................................................... 54 3.4 Physical Setting ................................................................................................................... 55 3.4.1 Oceanography ............................................................................................................... 55 3.4.2 Climate Change ............................................................................................................ 57 3.4.3 Habitat Change ............................................................................................................. 58 3.5 Biological Environment ...................................................................................................... 58 3.5.1 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function .......................................................................... 59 3.5.2 Target Stocks ................................................................................................................ 61 3.6 Protected Resources ............................................................................................................ 62 3.6.1 Threatened and Endangered Species ............................................................................ 62 3.6.2 Marine Mammals .......................................................................................................... 64 3.6.3 Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) ........................................................................................ 65 3.6.4 National Wildlife Refuges and Monuments ................................................................. 67 Chapter 4 Environmental Consequences ...................................................................................... 68 4.1 The U.S. WCPO Purse Seine Fishery ................................................................................. 68 4.1.1 Alternative A: No-Action Alternative .......................................................................... 68 4.1.2 Alternative B: The Action Alternative ......................................................................... 69 4.2 The Hawaii-based Deep-set Longline Fishery ...................................................................