No to Gillnet Fishing in the CNMI! Stop HB 23-5!
No to Gillnet Fishing in the CNMI! Stop HB 23-5!
The Issue
There was a reason why gillnets were banned decades ago. There is nothing wrong with what we follow today.
Today we see marine life thriving. Placing gillnets will affect not only fish population, but also our coral reefs and others. The bycatch alone is for any targeted species, this will catch all! NO to HB 23-5! NO TO GILLNETS!
More information
A gillnet is a wall of netting that hangs in the water column, typically made of monofilament or multifilament nylon.
Gillnetting has been a major source of mortality for all sea turtle species.
Turtles encountering a gillnet can quickly become entangled around their head or flippers as they try to escape. Entangled turtles will drown if held under the water but have a higher chance of survival if they can reach the surface to breathe. The nylon can tighten around the turtle's soft body parts and cause deep cuts potentially leading to infections, limited movement, or complete loss of the limb. Limited use of appendages can impair a turtle's natural feeding, breathing, and swimming behavior.
Artisanal fisheries throughout the wider Caribbean utilize gillnets and their ecological consequences on many fish species can be profound, although these consequences remain poorly understood (Dunn et al., 2010). Although economically beneficial to some small-scale artisanal fisherman, gillnets have detrimental effects if they are used unsustainably. Given that most gillnet fishing is indiscriminate, it has resulted in the sharp decline of many fish stocks. For example, artisanal gillnets have caused the near extinction of several fish species worldwide, as well as the local extinction of Nassau grouper in the southern Mexican Caribbean coast (Aguilar-perera, 2006; Syrja and Valkeaja, 2010). Similarly, gillnets have contributed to the critically endangered status of sawfishes that are easily captured as bycatch by gillnets (Guttridge et al., 2015; Dulvy et al., 2016). Available scientific evidence, therefore, recommends that sustainable fishing in Belize use other fishing techniques and avoid the use of gillnets.
SOURCES & MORE INFORMATION
Source 1: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/bycatch/fishing-gear-gillnets
1,604
The Issue
There was a reason why gillnets were banned decades ago. There is nothing wrong with what we follow today.
Today we see marine life thriving. Placing gillnets will affect not only fish population, but also our coral reefs and others. The bycatch alone is for any targeted species, this will catch all! NO to HB 23-5! NO TO GILLNETS!
More information
A gillnet is a wall of netting that hangs in the water column, typically made of monofilament or multifilament nylon.
Gillnetting has been a major source of mortality for all sea turtle species.
Turtles encountering a gillnet can quickly become entangled around their head or flippers as they try to escape. Entangled turtles will drown if held under the water but have a higher chance of survival if they can reach the surface to breathe. The nylon can tighten around the turtle's soft body parts and cause deep cuts potentially leading to infections, limited movement, or complete loss of the limb. Limited use of appendages can impair a turtle's natural feeding, breathing, and swimming behavior.
Artisanal fisheries throughout the wider Caribbean utilize gillnets and their ecological consequences on many fish species can be profound, although these consequences remain poorly understood (Dunn et al., 2010). Although economically beneficial to some small-scale artisanal fisherman, gillnets have detrimental effects if they are used unsustainably. Given that most gillnet fishing is indiscriminate, it has resulted in the sharp decline of many fish stocks. For example, artisanal gillnets have caused the near extinction of several fish species worldwide, as well as the local extinction of Nassau grouper in the southern Mexican Caribbean coast (Aguilar-perera, 2006; Syrja and Valkeaja, 2010). Similarly, gillnets have contributed to the critically endangered status of sawfishes that are easily captured as bycatch by gillnets (Guttridge et al., 2015; Dulvy et al., 2016). Available scientific evidence, therefore, recommends that sustainable fishing in Belize use other fishing techniques and avoid the use of gillnets.
SOURCES & MORE INFORMATION
Source 1: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/bycatch/fishing-gear-gillnets
1,604
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on February 9, 2023