photo credit Oceana & Carlos Suarez
"It’s estimated that thousands of creatures, including whales, dolphins, sharks and sea turtles, are trapped by the indiscriminate fishing gear each year."
And that's a great reason to stop using it. European organizations estimate there are over 500 illegal fishing vessels operating in the Mediterranean - some with driftnets up to 12 miles long! As a result, Morocco recently announced its plans to end the use of driftnets in the Med, and as of Wednesday it was announced that Turkey has jumped on board as well. Great news for countless marine species!
"The UN passed an international moratorium on driftnets 15 years ago, and the EU instituted a ban seven years ago, but many French, Italian and Moroccan vessels have continued using them."
While the news of the upcoming ban falls on grateful ears, laws like this have a history of being ignored and there is potential for legal loopholes. Let's hope the ban gets implemented and supported successfully!
Full article here (Oceana)
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