Saving Seafood

Judge wants plan to protect humpback whales from fishery

Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press

March 16, 2023 —

A U.S. judge this week ruled that the National Marine Fisheries Service violated the law when it failed to develop a plan to prevent West Coast commercial sablefish fishermen from harming humpback whales.

The Endangered Species Act requires the fisheries service to develop a plan to reduce the number of whales accidentally injured or killed by the fishery, but the agency neither crafted such a plan nor started to create one, the ruling said.

About 150 commercial fishing vessels use traps to capture sablefish in waters off California, Oregon and Washington.

The fisheries service estimates the fishery accidentally injuries or kills an average of one humpback whale per year.

Sablefish dwell on muddy ocean floors deeper than 650 feet (200 meters). To target the fish, fishermen place multiple heavy pots on the seafloor and link them together with heavy-duty fishing line.

Read the full article at the Washington Post