Hawai'i boaters fishing for tuna, marlin, ono, mahimahi or other deepwater fish must follow new federal regulations if they accidentally hook a sea turtle.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries rules, for pelagic fishers in waters from three to 200 miles from shore, went into effect Dec. 15, 2005. They call for the angler to use specific procedures — similar to ones already in place for longline boats — to handle, resuscitate and release turtles.

With a large turtle too big to bring aboard, the angler should identify the turtle species and record it in his logbook, untangle the turtle as much as possible, cut the line as close as possible to the hook and let the turtle go.

With a small turtle, the angler is to bring it aboard. If the hook is not set deeply, the boater should trim the hook with bolt cutters and remove it. Deeply hooked gear, in which the barb is hidden, should be trimmed as much as possible.

The turtle should be kept aboard for at least four hours and as long as 24 hours. It should be in shade, with wet towels over its body but not covering its nostrils. Spray it occasionally with a deck hose and keep track of its condition.

If it is conscious, give it a chance to recover from the stress of fighting the fishing gear and release it after about four hours, sliding it head-first into the water with the boat out of gear.

With an unconscious turtle, check for response every three hours by lightly pulling on the tail or touching the eye. If the animal responds, follow the procedures for a conscious turtle. If it does not respond after 24 hours, return the animal to the ocean.

"It's only rarely, rarely that small-boat fishermen hook turtles, but we wanted to have recommendations in place in case they do," said Alvin Katekaru, assistant regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries in Hawai'i.

For more information, write to the NOAA Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapi'olani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814; or see swr.nmfs .noaa.gov/pir/news /sbst.pdf.

A copy of the handling recommendations is available at swr.nmfs.noaa.gov /pir/ghhst.htm.

If you have a question or concern about the Hawaiian environment, drop a note to Jan TenBruggencate at P.O. Box 524, Lihu'e, HI 96766 or jant@honoluluadvertiser.com. Or call him at (808) 245-3074.