American Samoa Tuna Troll Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries

Current Classification on the List of Fisheries

^ Number of participants estimates are based on state and federal fisheries permit data. The estimated number of participants is expressed in terms of the number of active participants in the fishery, when possible. If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. If no recent information is available on the number of participants, then the number from the most recent LOF is used. NOAA Fisheries acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimations may be inflating actual effort.

*Observer coverage levels include the latest information reported in the most current final Stock Assessment Report (SAR).

¹ Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.

Basis for Current Classification

No mortality or serious injury of marine mammals has been documented in the fishery. Based on the similarity of this fishery to the Hawaii troll fishery, this fishery has a remote likelihood of marine mammal mortalities or serious injuries.

Distribution

Fishing can occur in local nearshore or federal waters year-round, with trips lasting less than a day. In 2013, 13 vessels reported using trolling gear, and it is estimated that these vessels made approximately 132 trolling trips totaling 673 trolling hours, and caught 17,507 lb of pelagic fish (WPacFIN American Samoa Pelagic Plan).

Gear Description

Fishing by towing or dragging line(s) with artificial lure(s) or dead or live bait, or green stick and danglers using a sail, surf or motor-powered vessel underway. Can include trolling with bait (dead or alive), trolling with artificial lure, or trolling with green stick.

Generally four to five but occasionally more than six individual lines rigged with artificial lures may be trolled when outrigger poles are used to keep gear from tangling. Lures are generally trolled at 7 – 8.5 knots. When using live bait, trollers move at slower speeds to permit the bait to swim naturally. Pelagic trollers generally fish at an average distance of 5 to 8 miles from shore, with maximum distance of about 30 miles from shore. Trollers fish where water masses converge and where submarine cliffs, seamounts, and other underwater features dramatically change the bathymetry. Trollers often fish drifting logs, other flotsam, underneath bird aggregations, and near FADs.

Management

In federal waters, the fishery is managed in accordance with the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pacific Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region and implementing regulations under 50 CFR 665.798 through 665.819. Federal regulations in 50 CFR 665.960 through 665.966 prohibit all commercial fishing within the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, which extends 50 nm seaward of Rose Atoll, while non-commercial fishing is prohibited within 12 nm of the atoll.

The Territory of American Samoa has not promulgated regulations specific to pelagic trolling, but it prohibits or regulates certain fishing gear and regulates fishing in certain areas (e.g., community-based marine protected areas), which may also apply to this fishery.

Historical Information

Timeline of Changes