U.S. Pacific Islanders and the Sea: A History of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council...

— —

Michael Markrich Sylvia Spalding

U.S. Pacific Islanders and the Sea

A History of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (1976-2020)

Michael Markrich, Sylvia Spalding

$91.95 $78.01

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
16 August 2022

History of the Americas; Indigenous peoples; Government powers; Local history

"In 1976, the United States claimed waters out to 200 nautical miles from its shores as its fishery conservation zone (now known as the

exclusive economic zone, or EEZ). This action by the U.S. Congress aimed to develop and protect the nation's domestic fisheries by banning foreign fishing in waters adjacent to the United States without a fishing agreement, except to target tunas.

Ironically, tunas were and continue to be culturally, socially and economically important species in the U.S. Pacific Islands, which account for half of the nation's EEZ waters. Getting tunas recognized as ""fish"" in the Fishery Conservation and Management Act (known today as the Magnuson-Stevens Act, or MSA) was one of many ground-breaking achievements of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. The 1990 amendment to the MSA allowed the Council to address not only foreign tuna fleets that were incidentally catching billfish but also to defuse heated conflicts between the local small-boat fishing fleet and larger domestic longline vessels from the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico that arrived in Hawai'i in a gold rush to target tunas and newly discovered swordfish grounds.

Composed of representatives from the State of Hawai'i, Territories of American Samoa and Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and four federal agencies, the Western Pacific Council became one of the most innovative fishery management organizations nationally and internationally. Firmly rooted in their cultural traditions that viewed the ocean as a source of nourishment and stewardship as a responsibility, the Council members from the islands called for a precautionary approach at a time when the National Marine Fisheries Service pushed for optimum yield. The Council pioneered the ban on potentially destructive fishing gear, the creation of large marine-protected areas and the use of limited-entry programs, satellite-based vessel monitoring systems and circle hooks as a protected species mitigation measure. Equally significant, the Council supported the fishing rights and knowledge of the indigenous Hawaiian, American Samoan, Chamorro and Refaluwasch-who had thrived for millennia on the small remote islands prior to Western conquest.

True to the intent and provisions of the MSA, the Council developed and supported sustainable domestic fisheries in the EEZ in the U.S. Pacific Islands despite being challenged by the lack of scientific knowledge about the fishery resources and their ecosystems. Paradoxically, despite its many conservation achievements and fulfillment of its MSA duties, the Council would be second-guessed by some U.S. mainland big-game sportfishing and conservation groups, with the support of influential, well-funded foundations intent on restricting fishing in more than half of the U.S. EEZ in the Pacific Islands.

The history of the first 44 years of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council provides insights into the challenges and accomplishments of the U.S. Pacific Islanders to maintain their fishing heritage and benefit from the marine resources in the waters that surround them through the public-participatory decision-making process of the Magnuson-Stevens Act."

By: Michael Markrich, Sylvia Spalding
Imprint: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 49mm
Weight: 1.347kg
ISBN: 9781944827809
ISBN 10: 1944827803
Pages: 654
Publication Date: 16 August 2022
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Michael L. Markrich is the former public information officer for the State of Hawai'iDepartment of Land and Natural Resources; communications officer for State of Hawai'iDepartment of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; columnist for the Honolulu Advertiser; socioeconomic analyst with John M. Knox and Associates; andconsultant/owner of Markrich Research. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in historyfrom the University of Washington and a master of science degree in agricultural and resource economics from the University of Hawai'i. Among his previous publications are monographs on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands lobster fishery and on the billfish fisheries in the Western Pacific. He has received an award for outstanding researchfrom the University of Hawai'i.Sylvia M. Spalding retired from the Western Pacific Regional Fishery ManagementCouncil after serving as its communications director for nearly two decades. Prior to that, she held similar positions at the Marine Aquarium Council and Pacific Business Center Program. She also worked as a fishery development assistant at the South Pacific Commission, a reporter/editor for Hawaii Fishing News and the Pelagic Fisheries Research Program, and a U.S. Coast Guard certified captain/charterboat owner. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from theUniversity of Hawai'i and a master's degree in nonfiction writing from the University of Iowa. Among her previous publications are the Fishing Hawaii Style book series (editor) and The Aquarium Industry and Reef Conservation chapter in Marine Ornamental Species: Collection, Culture and Conservation (co-author). Her recognitions include the Carol Burnett Ethics in Journalism Award from theUniversity of Hawai'i and the James Centorino and Honorary Membership awards from the National Marine Educators Association.