PROTECT OUR OCEANS FROM DESTRUCTIVE FISHING GEAR
Reading Time 2 minutes 12/10/2020: Victory Update! The U.S. House of Representatives passed The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act. The Senate passed the bill unanimously in July, and now it heads to the President’s desk for his signature. Read more here.
11/12/2020
This November, we have a chance to end the use of destructive drift gillnets in our oceans. California commercial fishermen use large-mesh gillnets to catch swordfish, but the gear also entangles, injures and kills over 60 other species, including sharks, billfish, endangered marine turtles, marine mammals and scores of ocean fish. Because drift gillnets are indiscriminate, ensnaring all marine life in their path, they are prohibited off the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, Washington state, Alaska, Oregon and Hawaii.
Very soon, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act which would phase out large mesh drift gillnets that are still used in California. The U.S. Senate has already passed this legislation unanimously. The Act complements a 2018 California law that revokes California state drift gillnet permits in 2024 and provides fishermen with financial assistance to switch to sustainable fishing gear.
Take this opportunity to tell your Representative to Vote to end the use of driftnets. Ocean conservation is a gift to our children and our grandchildren. We have an ocean of opportunity to change the way we fish for swordfish, help fishermen switch to selective gear and protect fishing opportunities for future generations.
This action has ended and Congress has passed this legislation. Thank you for your support.
