Overfishing, not climate change, is pushing some sharks to brink of extinction
Overfishing, not climate change, is pushing some sharks to brink of extinction
Hundreds of dolphins and sea lions have washed up dead or sick in California amid toxic algae outbreak
Courts threaten to sink federal fishery monitoring
May, 2023
Newly Approved Innovative Fishing Gear Will Reduce Bycatch off West Coast
Following campaigning by Oceana and its allies, the National Marine Fisheries Service legally authorized the commercial use of an innovative fishing gear that will protect whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and other ocean animals from fishing entanglements off the U.S. West Coast. Called deep-set buoy gear, this gear is designed to catch swordfish in a clean and profitable way. Legal authorization of this gear type is a critical step in the transition away from mile-long drift gillnets, a highly unselective fishing method that had previously entangled many other ocean animals. This newly approved fishing method consists of a floating buoy supporting a single vertical line with up to three baited hooks that is deployed during the day when swordfish feed at deeper depths than most other species. The buoys indicate when a fish has been caught, so fishers can retrieve their catch within minutes of it being hooked. Swordfish caught with deep-set buoy gear earn a much higher price per pound than those caught in drift gillnets because the fish is fresher and not damaged by a net. Additionally, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program added swordfish caught with deep-set buoy gear and harpoons to its Green List as a “best choice.” The Green List includes seafood recommendations for businesses and consumers based on seafood that is well managed and caught in ways that cause little harm to habitats or other wildlife.
Following campaigning by Oceana and its allies, the National Marine Fisheries Service legally authorized the commercial use of an innovative fishing gear that will protect whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and other ocean animals from fishing entanglements off the U.S. West Coast. Called deep-set buoy gear, this gear is designed to catch swordfish in a clean and profitable way. Legal authorization of this gear type is a critical step in the transition away from mile-long drift gillnets, a highly unselective fishing method that had previously entangled many other ocean animals. This newly approved fishing method consists of a floating buoy supporting a single vertical line with up to three baited hooks that is deployed during the day when swordfish feed at deeper depths than most other species. The buoys indicate when a fish has been caught, so fishers can retrieve their catch within minutes of it being hooked. Swordfish caught with deep-set buoy gear earn a much higher price per pound than those caught in drift gillnets because the fish is fresher and not damaged by a net. Additionally, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program added swordfish caught with deep-set buoy gear and harpoons to its Green List as a “best choice.” The Green List includes seafood recommendations for businesses and consumers based on seafood that is well managed and caught in ways that cause little harm to habitats or other wildlife.
May, 2023
Peru Passes New Law to Protect its Oceans and Artisanal Fishers
Peru’s Congress unanimously passed a new law to strengthen protections for the first five miles off the country’s coast and support Peru’s artisanal fishers. This coastal area is one of the most productive in the world, playing a fundamental role in the life cycle of the area’s marine species. The law will reinforce the ban on large-scale industrial fishing within the first five nautical miles and prohibit any gear that is harmful to the habitat and seafloor. Specifically, boats using mechanized gear like purse seines can no longer be classified as “artisanal” and are prohibited from using this destructive gear within the first three miles off the coast. Additionally, the law requires science-based fishing quotas to be established and orders new measures to recover overfished species. This victory, which was won thanks to steadfast campaigning by artisanal fishers and their allies, including Oceana, will help support ocean abundance, biodiversity, and livelihoods in Peru.
Peru’s Congress unanimously passed a new law to strengthen protections for the first five miles off the country’s coast and support Peru’s artisanal fishers. This coastal area is one of the most productive in the world, playing a fundamental role in the life cycle of the area’s marine species. The law will reinforce the ban on large-scale industrial fishing within the first five nautical miles and prohibit any gear that is harmful to the habitat and seafloor. Specifically, boats using mechanized gear like purse seines can no longer be classified as “artisanal” and are prohibited from using this destructive gear within the first three miles off the coast. Additionally, the law requires science-based fishing quotas to be established and orders new measures to recover overfished species. This victory, which was won thanks to steadfast campaigning by artisanal fishers and their allies, including Oceana, will help support ocean abundance, biodiversity, and livelihoods in Peru.