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West Coast's last sea turtles could be wiped out if long-lining ban overturned
The piece below exemplifies yet another reason to not eat fish, in this case, large open-seas fish such as swordfish. While it is worthwhile to contact the Pacific Fishery Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service to firmly object to the lifting of the ban on commercial long-line fishing, much can be done by reducing the demand for these fish in the first place. Simply do not to eat these fish. Tell your friends why they should not either. Anyone and everyone who has eaten commercially-caught large open-sea fish over the last 20 years, along with irresponsible profit-driven industry practices, has contributed to a 95% decline of some turtle species. The time to opt-out of the wanton destruction of our oceans is now, before it is too late.
CALIFORNIA
Ban on long-line commercial fishing may be lifted
Restyled hook won't spare sea turtles, opponents contend
- Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment Writer
Friday, August 5, 2005
Marine conservationists say the West Coast's last sea turtles could be wiped out if federal agencies decide to overturn a ban on long-lining, a form of commercial fishing that has killed hundreds of thousands of turtles over the past 20 years.
The National Marine Fisheries Service, a subsidiary agency of the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, banned long-lining for swordfish off the California coast in 2004 after concluding the practice was destroying sea turtles -- especially leatherbacks, huge marine reptiles sometimes exceeding a ton in weight.
By some estimates, Pacific leatherbacks -- which lay their eggs on beaches in Southeast Asia but frequently migrate through California's offshore waters -- have declined by 95 percent since 1980.
But the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which sets policies on commercial fishing in federal waters, is pondering a proposal by long-line advocates to overturn the ban. Any recommendation the council makes will be referred to the fisheries service, which will make the final decision.
Long-lining involves setting out thousands of baited hooks attached to a single line over miles of ocean. It is a highly effective way to catch large pelagic fish.
The management council's decision could come as early as today. It will be based largely on the use of circle hooks, a recent fishing innovation that prevents turtles from deeply swallowing baited hooks. Using circle hooks, long- liners returned last year to waters off Hawaii, where they were banned from fishing in 1999 because of heavy turtle mortality.
But critics say the efficacy of circle hooks in preventing turtle deaths is not fully known.
"A (fisheries service) report that recommended them was not peer reviewed and was not published" in a scientific journal, said Robert Ovetz, the Save the Leatherback campaign coordinator for the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, based in Marin. "We don't think that's adequate proof they're acceptable."
Ovetz acknowledged that circle hooks do less internal damage to turtles than standard hooks, "but they still hook turtles."
A recent Duke University study concluded that virtually every sea turtle left in the world is caught by a long-line every two years, Ovetz said. Not all turtles die after being hooked.
read whole piece at http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/08/05/BAGJIE3H0I1.DTL&type=printable
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objections to lifting long-line bans can be sent to:
Pacific Fishery Management Council
http://www.pcouncil.org
National Marine Fisheries Service
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov
Ban on long-line commercial fishing may be lifted
Restyled hook won't spare sea turtles, opponents contend
- Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment Writer
Friday, August 5, 2005
Marine conservationists say the West Coast's last sea turtles could be wiped out if federal agencies decide to overturn a ban on long-lining, a form of commercial fishing that has killed hundreds of thousands of turtles over the past 20 years.
The National Marine Fisheries Service, a subsidiary agency of the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, banned long-lining for swordfish off the California coast in 2004 after concluding the practice was destroying sea turtles -- especially leatherbacks, huge marine reptiles sometimes exceeding a ton in weight.
By some estimates, Pacific leatherbacks -- which lay their eggs on beaches in Southeast Asia but frequently migrate through California's offshore waters -- have declined by 95 percent since 1980.
But the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which sets policies on commercial fishing in federal waters, is pondering a proposal by long-line advocates to overturn the ban. Any recommendation the council makes will be referred to the fisheries service, which will make the final decision.
Long-lining involves setting out thousands of baited hooks attached to a single line over miles of ocean. It is a highly effective way to catch large pelagic fish.
The management council's decision could come as early as today. It will be based largely on the use of circle hooks, a recent fishing innovation that prevents turtles from deeply swallowing baited hooks. Using circle hooks, long- liners returned last year to waters off Hawaii, where they were banned from fishing in 1999 because of heavy turtle mortality.
But critics say the efficacy of circle hooks in preventing turtle deaths is not fully known.
"A (fisheries service) report that recommended them was not peer reviewed and was not published" in a scientific journal, said Robert Ovetz, the Save the Leatherback campaign coordinator for the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, based in Marin. "We don't think that's adequate proof they're acceptable."
Ovetz acknowledged that circle hooks do less internal damage to turtles than standard hooks, "but they still hook turtles."
A recent Duke University study concluded that virtually every sea turtle left in the world is caught by a long-line every two years, Ovetz said. Not all turtles die after being hooked.
read whole piece at http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/08/05/BAGJIE3H0I1.DTL&type=printable
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objections to lifting long-line bans can be sent to:
Pacific Fishery Management Council
http://www.pcouncil.org
National Marine Fisheries Service
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov
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