The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation's Marine Conservation Initiative has long supported innovations in fishing gear and practices that reduce habitat damage and catching unintended species during commercial fishing, otherwise known as by-catch.
A blog post by Shems Jud at Environmental Defense Fund spotlights the work that the Environmental Defense Fund, fishermen, scientists, fishing net manufacturers and many others have done over the last few years to help "demonstrate the feasibility of improved trawl net designs on the West Coast." A new video captures some of the project's progress:
What happens when fishermen, scientists and gear manufacturers are able to work together? Spoiler alert: dramatically reduced bycatch of juvenile fish; significant reduction in carbon footprint; higher catches; up to 90 percent less seafloor impact; and improved product quality. To quote one pioneering West Coast fisherman, "It's amazing."
In this video, follow a three-stage process as West Coast fishermen, Environmental Defense Fund, NOAA Fisheries and a broad range of commercial fishing stakeholders work together to create wins for fish, fishermen and our marine environment. Learn more: http://westcoasttrawlers.net/
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