Hawaii shortens rope on longliners

HAWAIIAN fishing authorities have taken further steps to limit

the growing longline fishing fleet

operating in their waters.

The Honolulu-based Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has announced a 90 day moratorium on new longline vessels entering the state’s fisheries, with the probability the ban will be renewed for another three months at the end of the 90-day period, allowing what is considered enough time for new policies to be developed. r r For the moment, the Hawaiian longline fleet is frozen at 152 boats. Earlier, the Fishery Management Council had

warned that any boat arriving after June 21, 1990, could face the prospect of having their licenses revoked, but 47 vessel owners decided to take the chance.

With the warning having failed, the council had no choice but the ban.

The ban on new vessels is the latest development in a conflict which devel oped in 1989 when Vietnamese refugees who had previously fished in the Gulf Mexico sailed their boats to Hawaii. The gulf waters were being 2, v l erfished and " a,ch rates had . d ™PP ed : 1 he existing fishing operators in Hawaii have been angered by the new arrivals and there has been concern that mutual ill-feeling could boil over into violence. □