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False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team

Photo: Hooked False Killer Whale

During fishing operations, false killer whales become hooked or entangled in fishing gear and, as a result, may become seriously injured or killed (i.e., bycatch). Currently, these takes are occurring at unsustainable levels. In response, the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requires the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to convene a Take Reduction Team (TRT) to draft a plan for reducing serious injuries and mortalities of false killer whales that occur incidental to commercial fishing activities.

The team met four times between February and July 2010. On July 19th, 2010, the team submitted a consensus Draft Take Reduction Plan to NMFS.

The TRT's recommendations usually form the basis of federal regulations. NMFS will finalize and implement a TRP, after considering comments from the public. Once the plan is in place and becomes effective, NMFS will monitor its progress and ensure the TRP meets the MMPA goal of reducing false killer whale mortalities and serious injuries in the fisheries to appropriate levels. If not, NMFS will re-convene the TRT to develop additional consensus recommendations for reducing mortalities and serious injuries and amending the TRP.

TRT Meeting Dates, Locations, and Summaries

Pre-TRT Meeting: November 19-20, 2009, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Pre-TRT Meeting Summary, (Dec 2009, pdf 160 kB)
Meeting #1: February 17-19, 2010, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Meeting #1 Summary (Mar 2010, pdf 569 kB)
Meeting #2: April 17-19, 2010, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
Meeting #2 Summary (May 2010, pdf 137 kB)
Meeting #3: June 15-18, 2010, Kahuku, Oahu, Hawaii
Meeting #3 Summary (July 2010. pdf 161 kB)
Meeting #4: July 13-16, 2010, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
(Draft Take Reduction Plan serves as the summary of this meeting. No other summary will be available)

Resources

For more information on the false killer whale, please see the PRD False Killer Whale page
For more information on the False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team, please see the Office of Protected Resources' False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team page
For more information about the Take Reduction Program, see the Office of Protected Resources' Marine Mammal Take Reduction Program site

Frequently Asked Questions about the TRT

We have complied a list of questions and answers about the False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team. You will find the most general questions below. For the complete Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheet, please see: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team (Feb 2010, pdf 280 kB)

Q: What is a false killer whale?
A: The false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) is a member of the oceanic dolphin family. False killer whales are found worldwide, mainly in tropical and warm-temperate waters. Three stocks of false killer whales have been identified in the central Pacific - the Hawaii Pelagic, Hawaii Insular, and Palmyra Atoll Stocks. False killer whales feed on tuna and other commercially-important pelagic fish species.

Q: What is take?
A: The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) defines "take" as "to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal." The MMPA prohibits take of marine mammals. Serious injuries and mortalities are considered take.

Q: What is the problem?
A: During long-line fishing operations, false killer whales become hooked or entangled in fishing gear and, as a result, may become seriously injured or killed. Currently, these takes are occurring at a level that is unsustainable for the Hawaii Pelagic Stock. In response, the MMPA requires the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to convene a Take Reduction Team (TRT) to draft a plan for reducing serious injuries and mortalities of false killer whales that occur incidental to commercial fishing activities.

Q: What is a Take Reduction Team (TRT)?
A: A TRT is an advisory group tasked with developing a plan for reducing mortalities and serious injuries of particular marine mammals. A TRT includes representatives from federal and state agencies, fishery management councils, academic and scientific organizations, environmental groups, and the commercial fishing industry. TRTs develop consensus recommendations, which are forwarded to NMFS and usually form the basis of federal regulations. TRT meetings are open to the public.

Q: Why is a TRT being convened now?
A: Though NMFS was aware that interactions between the longline fisheries and false killer whales were occurring at an unsustainable level, NMFS lacked sufficient funding to begin the process of establishing a new TRT until late 2009.

Q: How does NMFS use the TRT's recommendations?
A: The TRT's recommendations usually form the basis of federal regulations. NMFS will consider the draft Take Reducation Plan (TRP) when developing a proposed rule. NMFS will then consider public comments before issuing a final rule to implement a TRP. Once the plan is finalized and becomes effective, NMFS will monitor its progress and ensure the TRP meets the MMPA goal of reducing false killer whale mortalities and serious injuries in the fisheries to appropriate levels. If not, NMFS will re-convene the TRT to develop additional consensus recommendations for reducing mortalities and serious injuries and subsequently amend the TRP.

Q: Can I be on the TRT?
A: NMFS has already appointed TRT members on the basis of their expertise regarding the conservation or biology of the marine mammal species that the TRT will address, or the fishing practices that result in the incidental mortality and serious injury of such species, as required by the MMPA. However, TRT meetings are open to the public, and all interested stakeholders are encouraged to attend. Each meeting has a brief comment period during which members of the public may provide remarks directly relevant to the items presented or discussed during the meeting.

Glossary of terms:

Pelagic - pertaining to the part of the open sea or ocean comprising the water column, i.e., all of the sea other than that near the coast or the sea floor.
Insular - associated with one or more islands
Serious injury - any injury that will likely result in mortality (>50% of the time).
Stock - as defined by the MMPA, the term "stock" means a group of marine mammals of the same species or smaller taxa in a common spatial arrangement, that interbreed when mature.
Take - as defined by the MMPA, the term "take" means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal.

For more Q's and A's on this topic, please see the complete pdf document: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team (Feb 2010, pdf 280 kB)

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