WESTERN & CENTRAL PACIFIC NETWORK
Monitoring Transparency and Efficiency In Ocean Resource Management
Honolulu, Hawai`i
MEDIA RELEASE
CONTACT: SCOTT FOSTER
Director of Communications
808-988-1708 ~ wcpnetwork@hawaii.rr.com
U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE CONFIRMS 2ND INVESTIGATION OF DYSFUNCTIONAL FEDERAL FISH COUNCIL
Honolulu-Based Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac) & ED Kitty Simonds Plagued By Management and Fiscal Accounting Questions
HONOLULU: APRIL 11, 2008 -- The long, often-contentious effort instigated by a small group of Hawai`i-based ocean resource advocates was greatly advanced on April 7th, 2008, when U.S. Representative Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform announced that the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has accepted Waxman's request for a thorough investigation into the "...expenditures of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council." This action is in response to numerous complaints concerning Wespac and their Executive Director Kitty Simonds questionable use of federal funds -- including the illegal lobbying of the Hawai`i State Legislature. An April 10, 2008, Associated Press story is at: http://honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/NEWS01/804100370/1001&template
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Representative Waxman's call for a GAO investigation came directly on the heels of another confirmed investigation opened by the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the Inspector General (IG) into numerous allegations lodged earlier against Wespac and Simonds. The GAO confirmation in part reads, "...we will also be in contact with the cognizant Inspector General's office to ensure that we are not duplicating efforts."
Scott Foster, Communications Director for the Western & Pacific Network said, "Wespac has been the subject of several serious complaints and we are particularly pleased by the announced cooperation between these two federal investigative bodies."
This is all very good news for anyone concerned with fishing in Wespac's enormous territory of 1.5 million nm2. Wespac "manages" the largest area of the eight U.S. Regional Fishery Management Councils -- "about half" of the total Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters under the entire U.S. jurisdiction. This vast area with its many imperiled fish stocks and multitude of other fragile natural resources spans the Pacific dateline and the equator.
REDO OF NULLIFIED WESPAC CNMI MEETING ANNOUNCED
Because the dysfunctional Council's March 17-18, 2008, meeting in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands was not given proper public notice, all business conducted there -- at an estimated cost of $50-$60,000, not including the cost of a "do-over" meeting -- will have to be revisited. Once the noticing error was announced, on March 25, 2008, Wespac Executive Director Kitty Simonds wrote in an email, "After much back and forth with the lawyers, sustainable fisheries and the assistant administrator, the 141st [sic] meeting will take place on Monday, April 14 from 1pm to 5pm. The meeting will be held at the [Honolulu] Council Office and by teleconference." As of this writing, Wespac has not released a phone number for public access -- nor it is clear if the meeting "by teleconference" will be physically open to the public. The Wespac agenda and related documents are at: http://www.wpcouncil.org/
BACKGROUND & STORY ARCHIVES
http://belammc.com/...
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