HONOLULU (AP) – July 21, 2010 – Fishermen who use longlines to catch ahi, mahimahi and other fish off Hawaii should use a different kind of hook so they don't accidentally severely injure or kill a rare dolphin species, a federal advisory group said.
Longline fleet captains should undergo training on how to release any mistakenly caught false killer whales in a way that minimizes the chance they'll be seriously harmed, the group told the National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency responsible for regulating the fishery.
The agency had asked scientists, fishermen, conservationists and regulators to form the advisory group and make recommendations.
It acted in response to data showing the fleet is accidentally killing or seriously injuring an average of 7.4 false killer whales each year. This exceeds the 2.5 per year that the population can lose without hurting its ability to sustain itself.
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