63 



WESTERN 



PACIFIC 



REGIONAL 



FISHERY 



MANAGEMENT 



COUNCIL 



Value of Fisheries in the Western Pacific Region 



The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council's jurisdiction is nearly 1.5 

 million square miles, an area larger than that of the combined US Exclusive Economic 

 Zones (EEZ) of the other seven regional fishery management Councils. 



This area encompasses waters surrounding the US Pacific islands of American Samoa, 

 Guam, Hawaii (including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands), the Northern Mariana 

 Islands, plus the smaller islands an atolls of Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnston, 

 Kingman, Palmyra and Wake. 



The value of the region's fishery to Pacific island economies and its contribution to the 

 nation's gross domestic product has steadily increased over the last decade. 



In terms of landings and revenues, pelagic fisheries are the most important producers 

 in the western Pacific. In 1993, some 5252 million lb of pelagic fish and bottomfish, 

 valued at over $429 million, were landed at, or transshipped through, US ports in the 

 western Pacific. These landings were from the US distant water fleet, foreign vessels, 

 and domestic boats operating from the islands. 



The Western Pacific Region has four of the top seven US ports, including the most 

 valuable, Pago Pago, American Samoa, measured in terms of the value of landings and 

 transshipment activities. 



The Hawaii-based swordfish longline fishery, almost non-existent in 1988, now 

 represents over 60% of all US landings. 



Added to the commercial landings taken by other methods, the per capita value of the 

 Hawaii fisheries exceeds that of many coastal states on the US mainland, and 

 contribute proportionately more to the state's gross product. 



The domestic longline fishery remains healthy and catches have increased six-fold over 

 the past seven years. 



The geographic distances separating these US Pacific islands complicate the 

 management of the regional fisheries and increase administrative, surveillance, and 

 enforcement complexity and costs. 





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