Ocean Sentry
Prodded by seven years of litigation by conservation groups, the National Marine Fisheries Services announced today a new measure aimed at protecting Hawaii’s false killer whales from the lethal impacts of the longline fishery.
The agency published a notice in the Federal Register on January 19, 2010 that formally establishes a “take reduction team” for false killer whales. The team will consider ways to reduce harm to false killer whales caused by commercial tuna and swordfish longline operations. Longline vessels trail up to 60 miles of fishing line suspended in the water with floats and as many as 1,000 baited hooks.
Creation of the team was the goal of the most recent litigation filed by Earthjustice on behalf of Hui Mälama i Koholä, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Turtle Island Restoration Network.
William Ailä of Hui Mälama i Koholä and Brendan Cummings of the Center for Biological Diversity have been invited to serve as members of the take reduction team, which is scheduled to hold its first meeting February 17 to 19 in Honolulu. Other team members include representatives from the fishing industry, academic and scientific organizations, environmental organizations, the Marine Mammal Commission, and the Fisheries Service.
Recent data shows the false killer whales living in waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands represent a very rare subspecies that numbers fewer than 120 individuals. The Fisheries Service is currently conducting a 12-month study to determine if these “insular” false killer whales warrant protection under the federal Endangered Species Act, due to threats from, among other things, longline fishing..
Source: Center for Biological Diversity
