Western Pacific Fisheries Information Network
WPacFIN
The Western Pacific Fisheries Information Network (WPacFIN) program provides access to best available fisheries data from the Western Pacific Region to support fisheries management in that region. It obtains these data through cooperative agreements with participating state and territorial fisheries agencies in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, and Hawaii. It also works closely with the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council and Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO). WPacFIN was established in 1981.
Objectives
- Establishing and maintaining good working relationships among WPacFIN participating agencies.
- Updating and maintaining a central fisheries database at WPacFIN Central (the WPacFIN office at PIFSC) to facilitate data sharing and summarizing
- Assisting local state and territorial fisheries offices with technical support and some funding to address changing data and information needs to meet new federal requirements as they arise.
Vision
Provide best available fisheries data on a timely basis for managing fisheries resources in the U.S. Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Mission
Provide participating fisheries offices with technical expertise and tools to collect their fishery-dependent data and make certain they are able to comply with federal fishery data collection requirements.