The federal government said it will loosen regulations on Hawaii-based longline swordfish fishermen that are designed to protect sea turtles.
The revisions, announced Thursday and due to take effect next month, allow longline fishing boats to deploy more gear to fish for swordfish. They also allow the fishery to accidentally hook or entangle more than 46 loggerhead sea turtles — a threatened species — each year, up from 17 currently.
The annual allowed bycatch for leatherback sea turtles — an endangered species — will remain unchanged at 16. Longline boats must stop fishing for swordfish when these annual limits are reached.
The National Marine Fisheries Service said the new regulations will allow fishermen to catch more even as they protect sea turtles and other species.