It is declared by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council that the current TAC represents a 35 percent increase from the 2007 TAC of 178,000 pounds, but it is less than the 254,000 pounds recommended by the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee last week. It is informed that the 2008 TAC is based on an updated assessment of the archipelagic bottomfish stock by the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), which demonstrates that overfishing of Hawaii bottomfish is not occurring as previously determined and that the MHI segment of the stock is in better condition than the previous stock assessment indicated.
It is told that the TAC will be based on commercial catches only. However, non-commercial bottomfish fishermen will be required for the first time to obtain a permit and report their catches if fishing in federal waters, e.g., 3 to 200 miles offshore. If the TAC is reached before Aug. 31, 2009, then both the commercial and non-commercial sectors of the MHI bottomfish fishery will close until the 2009-2010 season begins on Sept. 1, 2009.
The Council also recommended that PIFSC, the Council and NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office immediately initiate a Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review for Hawaii bottomfish and that PIFSC continue to improve the bottomfish stock assessment before this review.
