Though possessing or using spearguns is prohibited in the sanctuary, the commercial scuba spearfishery is suspected to play a large role in the overfishing. Data indicating overfishing spurred efforts to develop the existing contract with the local Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources and the National Marine Fisheries Service to patrol the site and enforce regulations. The sanctuary is also working with the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources in the development of regulations to prohibit spearfishing in waters outside the sanctuary. If the local government goes forward with these regulations, the impacts could positively affect reef ecosystem health throughout American Samoa, including in the sanctuary. The use of poisons and explosives to harvest fish in the sanctuary is also prohibited.
Sanctuary staff collaborate with the local landowners to control access to the site.
This collaboration helps filter out fishermen who would enter Fagatele Bay via land to dynamite or poison fish. Additionally, public outreach and education are used to highlight management issues and encourage regulatory compliance. The former U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Duane now acts as an artificial reef and is part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Shipwreck Trail. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary . This sanctuary uses marine zoning as a management tool to protect the biological diversity and integrity of the sanctuary.