Tag Archives: West Coast swordfish fishery
The President vetoed a bill that would have decimated family fisheries and the ocean
Thanks to a last-minute veto by President Donald Trump on January 1, dozens of American family fishing businesses will be saved from going out of business, and the ocean ecosystem will be better protected—both of which were being threatened by a bill that was more rhetoric than science. In mid-December, Congress passed S. 906, the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act. The legislation would have phased out the use of drift gillnets, the only proven commercially viable way to catch swordfish, and would have effectively closed the West Coast swordfish fishery. This comes amidst particular uncertainty for fishermen in the region, who were already facing daunting challenges. >click to read< 09:15
Feds add tough rules for West Coast swordfish boats
Federal regulators are enforcing tough new rules to protect sperm whales, saying the West Coast swordfish fishery will be shut down if even one more of the endangered species is caught. The emergency National Marine Fisheries Service rules will be in place through January 2014. The swordfish fishery has been underway since Aug. 15, though it is unclear if boats have been allowed to operate prior to the rule change. more@sanjosemercurynews 11:42
