We’ve known for a while that by-catching is a problem. However, marine scientists just announced its estimated damage. According to a WWF-funded study, more than 1000 marine mammals each day die after becoming entangled in nets. That’s 2 dolphins (or porpoises, or whales) each minute. As a result, 10 species are at extreme risk of vanishing if nothing is done.
Most entanglement-deaths result from gillnets, which is a monofilament-line net that is virtually invisible to cetaceans. Once they become entangled, it’s almost impossible to break free, and the animals – which, of course, require surface air to breathe – drown.
Amazingly, Americans have drastically reduced by-catches recently. Slight modifications in fishing gear – like Ed Trippel’s glow-in-the-dark nets, or the use of acoustic pingers to warn away underwater animals – can make a big difference. The problem now rests with unmonitored subsistence fishermen and other nations that have not enacted tougher laws to reduce by-catching. C’mon guys; if Americans can do it, certainly everyone else can join in!
