To the editor: I sympathize with fishers attempting to make a residing in at present’s altering oceans, so it’s essential to not overlook sturdy proof that “pop-up” fishing gear might help them proceed to fish whereas defending whales from lethal entanglements in standard Dungeness crab fishing gear. (“California loves Dungeness crab. But concerns over whale safety put industry in peril,” Feb. 10)
Whereas environmental teams are enthusiastic about saving endangered whales and sea turtles with pop-up gear — which retains ropes and buoys safely on the ocean flooring till fishermen remotely set off them to “pop up” to the floor for retrieval — we’re not those reporting glowing outcomes.
These feedback are coming from the fishers themselves. In September, testers had been quoted in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat as saying, “I might take pop-up gear on daily basis of the week,” and that the system is the “smartest thing since peanut butter.”
The trial numbers additionally converse volumes: Nineteen boats signed up final yr, and 40 have jumped on board this yr.
As local weather change places extra marine animals prone to entanglement, we’ve to embrace win-win options that may save each whales and fishing jobs.
Benjamin Grundy, Oakland
The author is an oceans campaigner on the Heart for Organic Variety.
