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February 2, 2009

Shipwreck, Too, Threatened by Trawlers

Explorers say they have found one of the most storied shipwrecks of all time – the HMS Victory, which sunk in 1744 while carrying 100 brass cannons, 100,000 gold coins and 1,000 crewmembers.But instead of surviving in pristine condition, like the Titanic, the HMS Victory has been battered and beaten by destructive bottom trawls, the weighted nets that indiscriminately destroy everything on the sea floor in search of fish.Sean Kinsley, a marine archaeologist involved with the discovery, had this to say: “Rather than staying frozen in time beneath the waves, this unique shipwreck is fading fast. The Victory lies in an area of intensive trawling, and her hull and contents are being ploughed away by these bulldozers of the deep day in, day out.”Just another reason to end irresponsible bottom trawling: no fish, or famed shipwreck, is safe.