This Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP), developed by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council as an FMP, concerns ecosystem approaches to fishery management in the archipelago of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). It is made pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) and in accordance with national legislation and standards (including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act). The FEP establishes the framework under which the Council will manage fishery resources, and begin the integration and implementation of ecosystem approaches to management in Guam and the CNMI. It does not establish any new fishery management Regulations at this time but rather consolidates existing fishery regulations for demersal species. Specifically, this FEP identifies as management unit species those current management unit species known to be present in waters around Guam and the CNMI and incorporates all of the management provisions of the Bottomfish and Seamount Groundfish FMP, the Crustaceans FMP, the Precious Corals FMP, and the Coral Reef Ecosystems FMP that are applicable to the area. Pelagic fishery resources, although important in the biological and socioeconomic environment of these islands, they will be managed separately through the Pacific Pelagic FEP. In addition, under the FEP, the organizational structure for developing and implementing Fishery Ecosystem Plans explicitly incorporates community input and local knowledge into the management process. It also identifies topics in ecosystem approaches to management and identifies ten overarching objectives to guide the Council in further implementing ecosystem approaches to management. The ten objectives include: To maintain biologically diverse and productive marine ecosystems and foster the long-term sustainable use of marine resources in an ecologically and culturally sensitive manner through the use of a science-based ecosystem approach to resource management; to provide flexible and adaptive management systems that can rapidly address new scientific information and changes in environmental conditions or human use patterns; to encourage and provide for the sustained and substantive participation of local communities in the exploration, development, conservation, and management of marine resources; to minimize fishery bycatch and waste to the extent practicable; to manage and co-manage protected species, protected habitats, and protected areas; to increase collaboration with domestic and foreign regional fishery management and other governmental and nongovernmental organizations, communities, and the public at large to successfully manage marine ecosystems. This FEP specifies Management unit species (MUS), which are typically those species that are harvested in significant quantities to warrant conservation and management under each FEP. The primary impact of inclusion of species in an MUS list is that the species (i.e., the fishery targeting that species) can be directly managed. Under the adaptive approach that utilizes the best available scientific information, the Council, in coordination with NMFS, will continue to develop and refine estimates or proxies of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for managed species when sufficient data are available. Topics in ecosystem approaches to management include, among others: precautionary approach, adaptive management, ecological effects of fishing and non-fishing activities, ocean zoning, community-based management, and community participation and development. Management measures concern, among other things, gear restrictions, bycatch, at-sea observer coverage, seasons and quotas, closure once harvest quota for any exploratory area is reached, protection of coral reef and marine protected areas, turtle and marine mammals protective measures, protection of non-ESA species, designation of habitat areas of particular concern (HAPCs), overfishing criteria, permit and reporting requirements and an indigenous program. The Archipelagic FEP Plan Team oversees the ongoing development and implementation of the various FEP's.
Guam (USA), Northern Mariana Islands (USA), United States of America · 2009-09-24