Frequently Asked Questions
Sustainability
Are Tuna are running out? Should we stop eating Hawaii pelagic fish.
No. Articles in high-profile scientific journals claim to show catastrophic declines in population sizes and warn of wholesale collapse of oceanic food chains. These prophecies are based on the selective use of small, biased subsets of the data and on faulty analyses. The most credible analysis is published by the scientists who perform stock assessments for NOAA Fisheries, the University of Hawaii’s Pelagic Fisheries Research Program, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. Using state-of-the-art methods applied to all available data, these uniquely qualified scientists conclude that there is little impact of fisheries on some Pacific tuna populations harvested by Hawaii longline fisheries but substantial, though not catastrophic, impacts on others.
According to scientists, large reductions in fishing capacity are needed to prevent heavily-fished Pacific bigeye and yellowfin tuna populations from becoming overfished in the future.
How are dolphins affected by Hawaii longline fishermen?
All Hawaii tuna are line-caught by hand and therefore “dolphin-safe” because no nets are used to encircle dolphin schools with tuna. Dolphin-safe regulations and labeling are in place for tuna caught by purse seiners that fish in areas where dolphins swim with tuna schools (ex. eastern Pacific). This does not happen in the area where Hawaii longline fishing occurs.
Is there a lot of waste, or “bycatch” with fish that are discarded during the catching process?
No. Hawaii longline fisheries are managed under Federal regulations that conform to the mandate of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) to minimize bycatch of fish and non-fish species. Fish bycatch is minimized and catch utilization is maximized in the multi-species pelagic fish catches of these fisheries. Most of the fish are retained after capture because Hawaii’s fresh fish market values diverse species. The major exception is the blue shark which few if any consider edible, which is released alive with a good chance of survival after accidental capture. Fish that survive interactions with fishing gear are not considered bycatch when defined as fishery waste. Catch and release sport fishing is no different and is commonly considered a conservation measure.
How are sea turtle populations affected by Hawaii longline fishermen?
The maximum annual incidental “takes” of protected sea turtles in Hawaii longline fisheries are established in Biological Opinions conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). A sea turtle “take” can range from harmless to lethal interactions with fishing gear. If annual sea turtle take limits are exceeded in Hawaii’s tuna longline sector, consultations under Section 7 of ESA may be initiated by these agencies to decide what corrective actions are necessary. If loggerhead or leatherback turtle take limits are exceeded in Hawaii’s swordfish longline sector, the fishery is immediately closed for that year.
Leading sea turtle scientists have concluded that not even total elimination of Hawaii longline fisheries would have a measurable impact on Pacific sea turtles populations because incidental turtle catches and mortalities are so rare. When they are accidentally hooked or tangled, sea turtles can usually be released back into the ocean alive. Of much greater concern for sea turtle conservation are high kill rates of turtles caught in the eastern Pacific in gill nets and bottom longlines and in Japanese offshore pound nets, and loss of turtle eggs as a result of nesting beach disturbances.
The swordfish sector of the Hawaii longline fishery was closed for three years because of the perception of a high level of gear interactions with protected sea turtles. This sector was re-opened in 2004 under new Federal regulations that require the use of circle (rather than J) hooks and fish (rather than squid) bait and other measures to minimize the severity of injuries and trauma to sea turtles after accidental capture. Limits have been placed on sea turtle interactions with Hawaii longline gear. In the event that a predetermined limit on the number of loggerhead (17) or leatherback turtle (16) interactions is exceeded, the swordfish sector of Hawaii longline fisheries is closed for the rest of the calendar year, regardless of whether it has reached total allowable sets. The new regulations have resulted in an 89 percent reduction in the incidental interactions with all turtle species in the Hawaii swordfish longline fishery.
Are Hawaiian monk seals casualties of Hawaii longline fishing in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument?
No. Longline fishing exclusion zone extends 50 nautical miles offshore from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This zone was established as a precautionary measure in 1994, well before Monument designation. Since that time, there have been no documented interactions with endangered monk seals.