For the record, the Fishery Council banned trawling of any kind within Hawaii's EEZ. No nets. It has never claimed monk seals were the reason for any fishery decline. It did take steps to eliminate any interaction of the longline fleet with monk seals, with zero interactions over the past 10 years.

WesPac has nothing to do with sea lions along the West Coast, and has no jurisdiction over what happens there. That would fall under the Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

Furthermore, the Fishery Council is the agency that actually established the reserve that that protected the NWHI 25 years ago. It was declared a monument 15 years later by Pres. Bush. The area protected was the largest on Earth, and it's pristine condition today was entirely due to WesPac's efforts.