Comment from brysen bernstein

It has been reported that false killer whales develop long term bonds, and can stay with a partner for decades. In the past 20 years Hawaii's population of false killer whales has dropped by more than one third and now stands around 150. The reasons for their decline are nearly all tuna fishing related. The take reduction plan would go a long way in protecting these mammals. While the long-line fishing industry and tuna consumers should not be ignored, the impact on these groups is small when compared with the alternative - killing off a genetically unique animal that is slow to reproduce, and are therefore slow to recover from population losses. The area closures, the weak hook requirement, making branch lines stronger and the annual certification programs should all be used to help the false killer whale population recover.