A January 12, 2020, article in the Los Angeles Times summarized why a federal court continued the longline fishing ban off the California coast. Like many other decisions regarding longline bans, the justification was bycatch: Leatherback sea turtles, which are one of the many unintended catches of longline fishing, was the justification for the continued ban in California.
Oddly enough, a July 21, 2019, article in Newsday about the Montauk commercial fishing industry promoted local longline fishing as though it was something to be proud of.
Like longline fishing, gill-netting is utilized locally, even though it has been banned in many states, as well as around the world. Gill-netting was banned because of bycatch; it is known to kill many species other than the intended catch. A July 18, 2019, article in The East Hampton Star summarized many of the consequences of gill-netting.
Isn’t it past time for the local fishing industry to voluntarily remove longlines and gill nets from their fishing arsenal? Wouldn’t it be the right thing to do from a variety of perspectives?
Randy Johnston
East Hampton
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