The Hawaii Swordfish Fishery has a checkered past of disastrous impacts on Pacific leatherback, loggerhead, and green turtles as well as marine mammals and seabirds. This fishery operated for years in violation of the Endangered Species Act until 1999, when we and a coalition of other groups successful sued to close this harmful fishery.
In 2004, the fishery was re-opened after the National Marine Fisheries Service implemented "protective" measures to reduce the impacts on endangered sea turtles. While these regulations have reduced the total number of sea turtle takes, the HI swordfish fishery continues to threaten highly endangered Pacific sea turtle populations. The Hawaii longline fishery also continues to kill Pilot whales, False killer whales as well as endangered seabirds such as the Black-footed Albatross and the North Pacific Laysan.
The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (WESPAC) has now proposed to weaken the 2004 sea turtle mitigations. They are preparing an Environmental Impact Statement that would allow them to increase their fishing effort and catch even more endangered sea turtles. We are actively working to oppose these efforts and will very shortly provide you an opportunity to get involved and help us defeat this incredibly risky and irresponsible proposal.
In the meantime, read this exposé of WESPAC's abuses!
