In January 2010, we established a Take Reduction Team (Team) to address the incidental mortality and serious injury of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in the Hawaii-based deep-set and shallow-set longline fisheries.
The Team was charged with drafting a Take Reduction Plan (Plan) for reducing that mortality and serious injury, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
In November 2009, we convened an informational public meeting to provide:
Though the information meeting was not intended to generate recommendations to us, a meeting summary [pdf] is available.
We established the Team on January 19, 2010 (75 FR 2853). View a complete list of the False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team members with contact information.
The Team met four times within six months to develop a draft Plan by consensus and submitted the draft to us on July 19, 2010. We considered the draft Plan submitted by the Team, and published a proposed rule to implement the Plan on July 18, 2011.
The public comment period for the proposed rule closed on October 17, 2011.
We considered the comments received and published a Final Rule on November 29, 2012.
We monitor the Plan's progress and ensure it meets the MMPA goal of reducing mortality and serious injury of false killer whales incidental to the fisheries addressed by the Plan. If mortality and serious injury is not reduced to appropriate levels, we will reconvene the Team to develop additional measures.
October 7 and 9, 2020
Teleconference
A young, female Hawaiian monk seal pup, identified as "PM6," lying in the sand at Kalaupapa, Molokai in 2017. This is the fourth pup of mom "RI25." Credit: NOAA/Tracy Mercer (Permit #16632-02).
An oceanic whitetip shark swims near the surface of the water. Photo courtesy of John Carlson.
Female Hawaiian monk seal RO28, one of the “monk seal matriarchs,” and her pup on Kaua‘i. Credit: Val Bloy
