Council Limits Purse Seine Tuna Fishing Off Guam, Marianas, American Samoaff

The advisory body responsible for managing fishing in U.S. waters in the Western Pacific has restricted fishing by big nets off Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council expressed concern the fishing by large boats with massive nets, called purse seiners, will deplete local tuna and other fish stocks. It’s particularly concerned with skipjack and yellowfin tuna.

The action will prohibit purse seine fishing in federal waters off Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Off American Samoa, purse seine fishing will be banned within 75 nautical miles of the shore.

In 2006, vessels caught 1.3 million metric tons of skipjack tuna in the Western and Central Pacific. It was the highest amount ever, and 85% was caught by purse seine vessels.