[Birdbycatch] Fwd: Study of US fishing gears impacts
Liz Mitchell
emitch@efn.org
Sat, 17 May 2003 13:56:12 -0700
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>
>
>
>NEWS RELEASE
>New Report: Fishermen, Scientists, Conservationists Agree That Some
>Widely-Used Fishing Gears Cause Severe Harm to Marine Environment in U.S.
>
>WASHINGTON There may be more than one way to catch a fish, but not all are
>environmentally friendly. Some fishing gears widely used in U.S. ocean
>waters severely damage seafloor habitats and kill far more than the
>species they target, according to a first-of-its-kind report released
>today by Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI). The report s
>findings are based on a survey of fishermen, regulators, scientists and
>conservationists, who compared and ranked the level of damage 10 major
>commercial fishing gears cause to the marine environment. Bottom trawls
>large, heavy nets that are dragged across the seafloor to catch cod,
>flounder, rockfish, shrimp and other popular ocean delicacies topped the
>list of the most harmful fishing gears.
>
>The results of the survey, published in the MCBI report Shifting Gears:
>Addressing the Collateral Impacts of Fishing Methods in U.S. Waters, show
>remarkable consensus among groups that seldom share the same point of view
>on fishing matters. There was consistent agreement about which fishing
>gears are the most and least harmful to marine resources. Bottom trawls,
>dredges, bottom gillnets and midwater gillnets were considered to have a
>relatively high ecological impact, while midwater trawls, purse seines and
>hook-and-line gear were considered to have a low impact on the marine
>environment. Survey respondents rated the impacts of longlines and pots
>and traps as relatively moderate.
>
>Of primary concern to the survey s respondents was the impact of fishing
>gears on ocean habitat. The marine professionals polled consistently
>assigned greater ecological value to seafloor organisms and structures
>which serve as nursery areas, refuges and homes for fishes than other
>marine ecosystem components. Ninety-eight percent of marine species live
>in, on or immediately above, the seafloor. Though second to habitat,
>bycatch the unintentional capture and discard of non-target marine life,
>including shellfish and crabs, marine mammals, sea birds, sea turtles,
>sharks and other fishes was also a concern.
>
>While there has been clear documentation of the environmental impacts
>caused by some fishing gears, until now no scientific method has addressed
>which gears are the most harmful. Shifting Gears is the first to
>synthesize information about the collateral impacts of various fishing
>gears, gauge the severity of these impacts and, with input from fishermen,
>regulators, scientists and environmentalists, compare and rank the overall
>ecological damage these gears cause.
>
>For a the full press release and PDF version of Shifting Gears: Addressing
>the Collateral Impacts of Fishing Methods in U.S. Waters, please visit the
>MCBI website at
><http://www.mcbi.org/ShiftingGears/SG_release.htm>http://www.mcbi.org/ShiftingGears/SG_release.htm
>or for more information contact Sara Maxwell at sara@mcbi.org.
>
>------------------------------------------
>Sara Maxwell
>Program Assistant
>Marine Conservation Biology Institute
>15806 NE 47th Court
>Redmond, WA 98052
>(425) 883-8914
>Fax: (425) 883-3017
>www.mcbi.org
>
Elizabeth Mitchell
P.O. Box 933
Eugene, Oregon 97440
U.S.A.
Tel: 541/ 935-0858
Message Tel: 541/344-5503
E-mail: emitch@efn.org
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NEWS RELEASE<br>
New Report: Fishermen, Scientists, Conservationists Agree That Some
Widely-Used Fishing Gears Cause Severe Harm to Marine Environment in
U.S.<br>
<br>
WASHINGTON There may be more than one way to catch a fish, but not all
are environmentally friendly. Some fishing gears widely used in
U.S. ocean waters severely damage seafloor habitats and kill far more
than the species they target, according to a first-of-its-kind report
released today by Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI). The
report s findings are based on a survey of fishermen, regulators,
scientists and conservationists, who compared and ranked the level of
damage 10 major commercial fishing gears cause to the marine
environment. Bottom trawls large, heavy nets that are dragged
across the seafloor to catch cod, flounder, rockfish, shrimp and other
popular ocean delicacies topped the list of the most harmful fishing
gears.<br>
<br>
The results of the survey, published in the MCBI report <i>Shifting
Gears: Addressing the Collateral Impacts of Fishing Methods in U.S.
Waters</i>, show remarkable consensus among groups that seldom share the
same point of view on fishing matters. There was consistent
agreement about which fishing gears are the most and least harmful to
marine resources. Bottom trawls, dredges, bottom gillnets and
midwater gillnets were considered to have a relatively high ecological
impact, while midwater trawls, purse seines and hook-and-line gear were
considered to have a low impact on the marine environment. Survey
respondents rated the impacts of longlines and pots and traps as
relatively moderate. <br>
<br>
Of primary concern to the survey s respondents was the impact of fishing
gears on ocean habitat. The marine professionals polled
consistently assigned greater ecological value to seafloor organisms and
structures which serve as nursery areas, refuges and homes for fishes
than other marine ecosystem components. Ninety-eight percent of
marine species live in, on or immediately above, the seafloor.
Though second to habitat, bycatch the unintentional capture and discard
of non-target marine life, including shellfish and crabs, marine mammals,
sea birds, sea turtles, sharks and other fishes was also a concern.<br>
<br>
While there has been clear documentation of the environmental impacts
caused by some fishing gears, until now no scientific method has
addressed which gears are the most harmful. Shifting Gears is the
first to synthesize information about the collateral impacts of various
fishing gears, gauge the severity of these impacts and, with input from
fishermen, regulators, scientists and environmentalists, compare and rank
the overall ecological damage these gears cause.<br>
<br>
For a the full press release and PDF version of <i>Shifting Gears:
Addressing the Collateral Impacts of Fishing Methods in U.S. Waters</i>,
please visit the MCBI website at
<a href="http://www.mcbi.org/ShiftingGears/SG_release.htm">http://www.mcbi.org/ShiftingGears/SG_release.htm</a>
or for more information contact Sara Maxwell at sara@mcbi.org.<br>
<br>
------------------------------------------<br>
Sara Maxwell<br>
Program Assistant<br>
Marine Conservation Biology Institute<br>
15806 NE 47th Court<br>
Redmond, WA 98052<br>
(425) 883-8914<br>
Fax: (425) 883-3017<br>
<a href="http://www.mcbi.org/" eudora="autourl">www.mcbi.org</a><br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
Elizabeth Mitchell<br>
P.O. Box 933<br>
Eugene, Oregon 97440<br>
U.S.A.<br>
Tel: 541/ 935-0858<br>
Message Tel: 541/344-5503<br>
E-mail: emitch@efn.org<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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