The bodies of 12 dead hammerhead shark pups were found yesterday in Kane'ohe Bay near the Waikalua Fish Pond, reported the Nature Conservancy.

They were caught in a gill net that was three times as wide as the legal limit and that had been left in place at least overnight and possibly for several days, said Eric Conklin, marine science adviser for the Nature Conservancy.

"We are lucky that a net that big and left out for that long didn't catch a lot more fish than 12 baby hammerheads," he said.

Enforcement officers with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources went out in a boat and removed the abandoned net, which was about 200 yards from the wall of the fish pond.

Deborah Ward, spokeswoman for DLNR, said the net was torn and dirty, indicating it had been there for some time.

No one was found tending the net. The law requires fishermen to be nearby and to check their net at least every 30 minutes. A net must be removed within four hours. Violators can be fined up to $3,000.

Conklin said the hammerheads were caught in several nets strung together to form a single net about 350 feet wide. It was about 4 feet tall and sat in water about that depth.

"Fishing that way could lead to fully depleting your marine resources," Conklin said.

Lay gill nets are legal in that part of Kane'ohe Bay, but have been banned entirely on Maui, in West Hawai'i, and selected areas on O'ahu, including Portlock Point to Keahi Point, Kailua Bay and parts of Kane'ohe Bay.

The Advertiser reported earlier this month that 75 percent of Hawai'i's reef fish are depleted or in critical condition, and many fishing enthusiasts blame unregulated lay gill net fishing.