The Saga of the Hawai‘i Swordfish Longline Fishery and Sea Turtles

Hawai‘i’s swordfish-targeting shallow-set longline fishery may be about a 10th in scale compared to the tuna-targeting deep-set longline fishery, but it is just as important for U.S. seafood production. Hawai‘i supplies about half of the country’s domestic swordfish production, and most of it comes from the shallow-set fishery. However, the fishery this year closed in March, following another short season in 2018 with a closure last May. How does a fishery with such importance close early in the year, two years in a row? The short answer to that question is a combination of litigation, loggerhead turtle interactions and delays in completing federal requirements.

Before we dive into a saga with a complexity that might as well become the next superhero movie franchise, let’s start with the basics. The Hawai‘i