THE FUSE

A federal fishery council on Sept. 15 endorsed regulatory changes that would let larger American Samoa longline vessels fish between 12 and 50 nautical miles from Muliava, also known as Rose Atoll, once the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) removes monument-based commercial fishing prohibitions there. Waters within 12 nautical miles would remain closed. The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council took the action on the first day of its 208th meeting, held by web conference with host sites in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, KITV reported.