Longline fisheries continue killing whales at unsustainable levels

Fisheries Service finds whales killed at unsustainable levels

Steps taken to address Earthjustice lawsuit

The federal agency charged with protecting marine mammals settled a court case by pledging to finalize and implement protections for false killer whales by November 30, 2012. False killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens, which are actually large dolphins) have suffered unsustainable levels of death and serious injury in the Hawaiʻi-based longline fisheries. The National Marine Fisheries…

If you were a false killer whale off the Hawaiian coast you’d probably be calling ocean 911 right about now on your underwater cell phone. You’d frantically shout: “Hurry, send help now! Us false killer whales are being killed by longline fishing hooks!” And the ocean 911 operator would respond: “We have been receiving a…

Longline fishery killing whales at twice sustainable levels

Fishery needs more protective status

Photos released under Freedom on Information Act

A new scientific study (pdf) paints a bleak picture for Hawai’i’s false killer whales. For nearly a decade, the National Marine Fisheries Service’s data(pdf) have shown the Hawai’i longline fishery is killing these rare marine mammals at rates far beyond what the population can sustain. The latest data show the number of false killer whales in…

Reclassification comes after pressure from citizens’ lawsuit

In 2004, under pressure from an Earthjustice lawsuit, the National Marine Fisheries Service finally re-classified the Hawaiʻi-based longline fishery as “Category 1″—a designation for fisheries that annually kill and seriously harm marine mammals at unstainable rates—due to its excessive incidental take of Hawaiʻi’s false killer whales. According to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, this recategorization…

Conservation groups urge immediate implementation of protection plan

Settlement will protect habitat for vulnerable marine mammal populations in Southern California and Hawai‘i

Officials must assess fishing effects on dwindling Pacific species

New environmental impact statement required for destructive sonar and explosives use

Ligers, tigons, prizzly bears! Oh my! Also: False killer whales

A special report on Earthjustice's work in defending at-risk species and the ecosystems they depend on.

Millions of marine mammals face injury, death off Hawaiʻi, Southern California