Paul Nicklen
Explainer
Driftnets
The Real Dangers
Paul Nicklen
A fishing practice intended to catch swordfish, driftnets are outdated and destructive to wildlife.
These driftnets are up to 1.5 miles long, 200 feet deep, and designed to kill everything in their path.
Howard Hall
Paul Nicklen
Rare sea turtles, sea lions, whales, sharks, and as many as 60 other species are constantly at risk of being injured or killed. These non-target species are known as “bycatch.”
Sadly, driftnet fishing has an astonishingly high bycatch rate, with estimates for some nets as high as seven to one. In other words, for every swordfish caught, seven other marine animals may become collateral damage.
Howard Hall
The California driftnet fishery has an estimated 64 percent bycatch rate.
Many animals die after becoming entangled in these huge driftnets. But undercover observers also confirm that in some cases, live bycatch is being severely maimed and unceremoniously discarded overboard as waste rather than being freed.