What are drift networks?

Drift networks are a type of network sometimes used in commercial fishing, which have weights on the bottom and hover at the top. These networks work by coming from the fish their gills and are often referred to as GILL NETS. Although this technique is effective for catching large amounts of fish, it has been criticized for the killing of fish species and sea mammals.

Although there are some prohibitions on drift networks, the high sea is unregulated and is therefore still used. It is estimated that up to 20,000 miles (approximately 32,186 km) networks are determined every night only in the Northern Pacific Ocean. Although these networks are usually collected every day, the lines are long enough to kill different marine species. Mammals who get tangled into drift networks often die suffering because they cannot get to the surface to breathe air.

typically drift networks focus on a certain size of fish, which is determined by the network diameter. Smaller fish tend to swim directly through nets and towerThe fish bounce off and swim away. The nets can also be set at different depths to focus on different types. The networks are unable to capture only certain types of fish, but simply to catch all the fish they encounter in a certain size range. Some may have commercial value and others do not. This situation can destroy the entire fish population in some regions.

Drift networks can have tens of kilometers or kilometers long, but concerns about the impact of networks on the populations of marine mammals and seabirds caused the UN in 1993 to impose restrictions. Then the UN banned all networks longer than 1.5 miles (2.5 km). This helped reduce the number of unintended deaths by up to 66 percent, but it did not completely stop. Some of the killed mammals and birds are at risk of endangered species.

In some cases, especially during the free sea or storm, drift network may be lost at the sea. These networks, usually made of monofilla or other synthetic materials, do not easily decompose, and PROto can become a big problem. They can drift and kill fish until their weight causes them eventually sinking. These lost networks are called ghost networks.

Although environmentalists criticize the use of networks and call for other restrictions, the fishing industry says they are essential to satisfy the demand for seafood. Some countries and jurisdictions went further than the UN. For example, the European Union has banned drift networks for catching tuna in 1998, although the technique can still be used for other species.