The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council upheld its vote on Monday to close federal waters around American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands (CNMI) to purse seine fishing.
The closure around American Samoa spans three to 75 miles offshore and the closure around Guam and CNMI would include all federal waters to 200 miles offshore.
The council also voted to ban longline fishing in federal waters out to 30 miles from shore surrounding CNMI.
The prior vote to reopen the permit application period for the American Samoa longline fishery for one year was upheld.
The council also upheld its March decision to remove the current annual effort limit on number of allowable sets and to modify the allowable annual sea turtle interactions (entanglement or hooking - not mortality) to 46 loggerheads and 19 leatherbacks.
Decisions made by the council are transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for approval.
