新媒网 · 跨境数据社区

Groundbreaking report exposes ocean floor-destroying bottom trawlers. “Citing privacy laws, DFO does not give out much information about the trawl fleets, including where they are fishing. Which to us seems like a pretty big problem. Because industrial fishing affects all Canadians that rely on coastal resources, we think that this information should be more public.” Sydney Dixon, Pacific Wild It looks like mission accomplished, as after years of research, Pacific Wild has released its in-depth Dragged to Death report exposing exactly how much damage BC's biggest trawling offenders have done to our coast. Warning: the picture ain’t pretty with these repeat offenders. The repeat offenders are nine major trawlers, characterized by their size and onboard factory systems, including processing lines and large freezers. The thing is, what they are currently doing on our coast is simply repeating a pattern they have carried out in waters around the world. A pattern that leaves destruction in its wake. The pattern? Show up in places like the UK, the Norwegian Sea, Greenland, and the Bering Sea and trawl fish species like cod, halibut, and herring into oblivion before sailing off to find more fertile fishing grounds to pillage. No consequences, no concern for the community fisheries left behind to deal with the collapsed fish stocks and closures. Just scrape the ocean floor, rake in the cash, and move on - wash, rinse, and repeat. And can you guess where the majority of these large trawlers are currently wreaking havoc? That’s right - here in our waters. And there is absolutely no indication that the pattern will be any different. In fact, Pacific Wild’s research shows that over the past 13 years, these 9 trawlers have trawled 89,700 km² of BC’s coast, causing significant habitat damage and scooping up intended and unintended catch at unsustainable rates. How long until they pack up shop, leaving our community-based fishers with nothing? Click 👍 to help us defend our coast from these large factory and freezer trawlers #strongcoast #marineprotectedareas #banbottomtrawling #nobottomtrawling #bycatch #overfishing