Hawaii FEP - Western Pacific Fishery Council

• Killer whale (Orcinus orca)• Longman’s beaked whale (Indopacetus pacificus)• Melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra)• Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)• Pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata)• Pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps)• Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)Dolphins• Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)• Dall’s porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli)• Fraser’s dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei)• Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus)• Rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis)• Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris)• Spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata)• Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)Of the above species, bottomfish fisheries in Federal waters around the Hawaii Archipelago havebeen documented to interact with only one, the bottlenose dolphin. In the NWHI, the only area inwhich a vessel observer program has been conducted for the bottomfish fishery, bottlenosedolphins were observed taking fish from hooks, with an average of one bottlenose dolphininteraction observed for every 38 fishing hours (Nitta 1999). No hookings were observed duringthe 26 trips observed during the 1990-1993 observer program. Several sightings of spinnerdolphins were also made but no fishery interactions were observed (Nitta 1999). More recentlythe NWHI observer program was reactivated between October 2003 and December 2005. On the26 trips observed (22 percent of all trips taken), there were no reported or observed physicalinteractions with any species of marine mammals.The other species listed above may be found within Federal waters around the HawaiiArchipelago and could interact with Federal bottomfish fisheries; however, no reported orobserved incidental takes of these species have occurred in these fisheries.NMFS has concluded that the Hawaii Archipelago commercial bottomfish fisheries will notaffect marine mammals in any manner not considered or authorized under the Marine MammalProtection Act.4.2.3 Status of Bottomfish FisheryOn May 27, 2005, NMFS informed the Council that the Hawaii Archipelagic bottomfish stockcomplex, which occurs in both Federal and State waters, was determined to be experiencingoverfishing, with the primary problem being excess fishing mortality in the MHI.98