Dear all, This is just a reminder that comments on the scope of NMFS' take reduction team for Hawaiian false killer whales are due February 18th. NMFS has announced that the take reduction team will address interactions between the Hawaii pelagic, Hawaii insular, and Palmyra Atoll stocks of false killer whales (FKWs) with Hawaii's two longline fisheries (deep-set and shallow-set). As many of you know, these teams are essential for helping reduce bycatch in vulnerable populations. Hawaii pelagic FKWs are listed as a "strategic stock" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and NMFS recently found that listing the insular population under the Endangered Species Act may be warranted. As presently conceived, however, the new take reduction team would not address several other fisheries that are very likely to interact with at least the insular population of FKWs: Hawaii's shortline and kaka fisheries, which often work within the population's range and target its typical prey species. Comments should be (1) submitted electronically through www.regulations.gov (regulation number 0648-XT76), or else (2) mailed to: Assistant Regional Administrator, Protection Resources, NMFS, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Boulevard Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814. More information is available at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/fr/fr75-2853.pdf. Again, the deadline for receipt of comments is February 18th. Thanks, Michael Michael Jasny Senior Policy Analyst Natural Resources Defense Council 4479 W. 5th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6R1S4 tel. 604-736-9386 mob. 310-560-5536 fax. 310-434-2399 PRIVILEGE AND CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law as attorney-client and work-product confidential or otherwise confidential communication. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify us at the above telephone number.