U.S. Pacific Islanders and the Sea: A History of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (1976-2020)

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. Paci...