Groups say marine life
needs more protection
Environmentalists, Hawaiian cultural practitioners and fishermen are alleging in a federal lawsuit that the National Marine Fisheries Service has failed to protect Hawaii's false killer whales from longline fishing fleets.
"Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NMFS has a mandatory duty to make sure Hawaii's longline fishery is not killing off" the false killer whale population, said EarthJustice attorney David Henkin. "Enough's enough, and we're hoping that they'll see that themselves."
An official from the fisheries service was not available for comment yesterday.
The suit was filed by EarthJustice on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, Hui Malama i Kohola and the Turtle Island Restoration Network.
The groups hope to increase protection for false killer whales by reclassifying Hawaii waters, requiring the creation of plans to reduce the killing and wounding of false killer whales.
The fisheries service has estimated Hawaii's population of false killer whales at 83.
In the suit, the groups said the fisheries service reported that the longline fishing industry is responsible for killing or seriously injuring an average of seven a year -- above the limit of an average of 0.8 whales a year.
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the federal agency should begin "working on plans to reduce harm to false killer whales and other marine mammals," Henkin said.
