In 1976, Congress passed the Fishery Conservation and Management Act, better known by the name of its chief sponsor, Senator Warren C. Magnuson, of Washington state. The act placed management of the nation’s fishery stocks out to 200 nautical miles … Continued
On a fateful day in June 1988, the face of fishing in Hawai’i was forever altered. On that day, reports The Wall Street Journal one Bruce Mournier, “amid much scoffing from fellow longliners,” decided to take after swordfish in his … Continued
Oceanic sharks make up a part of the by-catch of Hawai’i’s longline fleet, although how large a part is difficult to determine. Frequently, shark catches are not recorded in logbooks. According to NMFS records, in 1992, “almost 95,000 sharks were … Continued
When people in Hawai’i think of sea turtles, the green turtle usually comes to mind. That is the type of turtle most frequently seen in Hawaiian waters. The hawksbill is the other species of turtle found off Hawaiian coasts, although … Continued
In 1991, longline fishermen in the waters off Hawai’i set approximately 12.3 million hooks. They caught 9.9 million pounds of swordfish, 5.8 million pounds of various large tuna – and, according to the best estimates of the National Marine Fisheries … Continued