Bycatch

Thanks for joining me!

My name is Juniper Wolfe, and welcome to Endangered Animals Overload!

Bycatch is the unwanted fish and other marine creatures caught during commercial fishing for a different species.  Each year, 38 million tonnes of sea creatures are unintentionally caught and thrown back into the ocean dead or dying.  Annual casualties include 300,000 small whales and dolphins, 250,000 endangered loggerhead turtles and critically endangered leatherback turtles, and 300,000 seabirds, including 17 albatross species.  How, in the 21st century, can we be so backwards as to treat living creatures like waste products?

40% of creatures caught by fishers are just bycatch.  This unselective way of commercial fishing is therefore the biggest threat to marine species.  Furthermore, as the fishing gear can destroy entire underwater ecosystems, this unethical way of fishing kills more than what’s brought to the surface.

Some of the worst equipment involved in this mass-slaughter are drift nets and gillnets.  The gillnets, of up to 30 meters high, either hang just under the water surface or are anchored to the seabed. Fish of a certain size get caught on it by their gills or fins, but many whales and dolphins (which breathe air) also get caught in the nets.  When they can’t reach the surface to breathe, they suffocate.

Drift nets are lengthy, free-floating, 26-49 feet deep nets, each as long as 55 miles. Drift nets are used to snare fish by their gills in the open water, however, they often catch migrating dolphins, turtles, sharks, or small whales.  They even can catch seabirds that were diving for food.  Every animal caught in that deadly snare is thrown away, back into the ocean to be eaten.  Drift nets are an extremely destructive fishing device.

I do not, however, suggest we end commercial fishing, as it will put millions without jobs, billions without seafood, and harm many coastal cities’ economy.  Commercial fishing isn’t necessarily bad; especially since there are companies and programs designed to reduce the marine animal’s death toll.  However, there are some companies in need of more intelligent fishing methods that can significantly reduce bycatch; such as nets with openings for turtles to swim out of, special hooks to avoid turtle bycatch, and the use of odours to deter sharks from bait on long lines.  These are just a few examples of selective fishing methods that significantly reduce bycatch.

If changes could be made via petition or votes to implement these new fishing methods into every commercial fishing company, we could minimize this needless and unfortunate slaughter.

It is high time to put an end to this sad chapter of our relationship with marine species.