Back to Hawaii News index

Posted: Thursday, October 18th, 2012 9:09 AM HST

Agency agrees to new Hawaii longline fishing rules

By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — The National Marine Fisheries Service is settling a lawsuit by agreeing to issue new rules that would prevent Hawaii fishermen from accidentally hooking a rare dolphin species. The settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity and Turtle Island Restoration Network requires the agency to issue new rules by Nov. 30 that would protect false killer whales. The agency published a draft of rules last year but never followed with a final version that would have put the regulations in place. The environmental groups sued in June to force the agency to follow up. The draft rules require longline fishermen to use circle hooks instead of Japanese-style tuna hooks because dolphins are less likely to get caught on the circle hooks and can more easily wiggle free if they do.