Environmental groups have sued the federal government for allegedly failing to prevent longline fishing fleets from accidentally snagging a rare whale species off Hawai'i.

Earthjustice filed the lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of three environmental groups against the National Marine Fisheries Service in U.S. District Court in Honolulu.

The complaint, citing 2007 federal data, alleges longline fishing vessels are accidentally ensnaring false killer whales off Hawai'i at twice the rate the species' population can sustain.

"These are intelligent mammals that deserve not to be indiscriminately killed in order to put a tuna fish sandwich together," said David Henkin, the Earthjustice lawyer.

Wende Goo, a National Marine Fisheries Service spokeswoman, said the agency's attorneys were reviewing the lawsuit.