Your Definition of Bycatch is Most Likely Incorrect
So why is this important? One reason it’s important is because when the world’s largest ocean conservation organization does not understand what bycatch even is, then we have a very big problem. When ocean conservation organizations do not understand what bycatch is, it can lead to scientifically flawed statistics published in reports such as “Wasted Catch” which only amplify the confusion by spreading misinformation about responsible U.S. fisheries to the mass general public. Read the rest here 16:59
Finally, someone from outside the fishing industry sees, “and gets” what many of the commercial ENGO groups are doing to confuse the general public by deliberately misconstruing, & misrepresenting the issues.
It’s very unlikely that they don’t know the legal definition of “by-catch” as plainly defined by Magnuson (as many of them are, or employ lawyers), but it’s much more effective if one can use the misrepresentation to further their arguments. Please don’t confuse the poor general public with unnecessary facts or accurate definitions…
Although, years prior to Magnuson’s definition of by-catch, I too thought of by-catch as being somewhat different. I thought of it as something that I caught in addition to what I was targeting, but which I did intend to keep. Anything else was discarded, i.e., thrown back (very often alive) for someone or something else who did want it, either as food or prey.
Thanks for being involved enough in the issues to want to understand the real facts, rather than what is supplied by those commercial ENGO groups. Facts & figures are very often not as tantalizing as they may first seem; it would make sense to make sure that they are not just bait, before swallowing them whole!
Jim Kendall
NBSC
8.3.2015