Fishing Nets Kill 1,000 Whales, Porpoises & Dolphins Every Day - MSNBC

[hatrack]

MANILA, Philippines - From Southeast Asia to the Black Sea, fishing nets have become deathtraps for thousands of dolphins and porpoises — and yet low-cost changes could save 10 species threatened with extinction, the World Wildlife Fund said Thursday. The group released a marine scientists' report that listed species threatened by accidental catch, and recommended low-cost steps to reduce their entanglement in fishing gear.

The report estimated 1,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises die each day in fishing nets, trapped underwater and unable to surface to breathe.

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U.S. fisheries in 1993-2003 introduced changes that reduced by a third the number of dolphins accidentally killed by fishing, or bycatch, the WWF said.

But few other countries have followed that example, "and in much of the rest of the world, progress on bycatch mitigation has been slow to nonexistent," the group said.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8156858/

[RebeccaS]

1. when will it end?

Does anyone know how close the beautiful and gentle basking shark and whale shark are to extinction? I know they are turning up in both abandoned nets and trawlers occasionally.

I wish people could just wake up and understand how important all species are. Even the funny looking ones.