June 14, 2014 — A major clash in California is taking place between environmentalists trying to protect the abundant wildlife off shore and commercial fishers who depend on the ocean's bounty for their livelihood. TRANSCRIPT
JOHN CARLOS FREY: The coast of California has a wealth and variety of marine life. On beaches south of San Francisco hundreds of elephant seals bask in the sun, sea lions gather on docks in Monterey bay, while humpback whales, dolphins, sharks, and other sea life roam the open ocean.
But these photos of dead sea life, caught in the drift gill-nets of commercial fishermen off the coast of California, have outraged conservationists.
GEOFF SHESTER: We’re seeing these images of the decks just filled with these, you know, bloody dolphins, these– these amazing sea turtles. And to literally just be going through hundreds of these images is– you know, it makes me sick to my stomach.
JOHN CARLOS FREY: Geoff Shester is the California Program Director for Oceana, an international organization that focuses on ocean conservation. Shester obtained these photos this February from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through a freedom of information request. These photos were taken by federal employees monitoring what’s known as by-catch: fish and other marine creatures caught by accident during commercial fishing.
The photos were taken on California commercial fishing boats that use drift gillnets. One-mile-long mesh nets that are intended to catch swordfish. But end up catching other sea life as well.
GEOFF SHESTER: In terms of the known deaths and mortalities to a lot of these iconic species, whether you’re talkin’ about large sharks– sea turtles, dolphins, and whales, I’m not aware of a single other activity that humans are doing that is actually causing the direct death of those– of such a large suite and number of animals.
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