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Tell Congress to End the Cruel Bycatch of Whales, Dolphins, and Sea Turtles from Drift Gillnets

Dear John,

During the previous Congress, the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act (H.R. 404/ S. 273), introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Representatives Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), passed the Senate with unanimous consent and soon after passed the House with widespread bipartisan support. After making it to the president's desk in late December 2020, it was vetoed based on an inaccurate interpretation of the economic impacts it would have on the fishing industry. Unfortunately, Congress did not have time to override this veto. The bill now has been reintroduced in both chambers and we hope, with your help, it will swiftly pass.

Large mesh driftnets are used to catch swordfish and other large fish. These driftnets, however, which are often more than a mile long, indiscriminately kill or severely injure many endangered marine species. Large mesh driftnets are so destructive that their use by only a single fishery in California is responsible for 90% of the dolphins and porpoises killed along the US Pacific Coast.

As a party to international agreements that ban large-scale driftnets in international waters, the United States already prohibits large mesh driftnets in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawaii. In 2018, California enacted a four-year phase-out program for driftnets in state waters with compensation for driftnet permit holders. Yet, their use remains legal in federal waters off the California coast--i.e., beyond three nautical miles from shore. As the United States strives to be a leader in fisheries management and ocean conservation, we must outlaw this unsustainable and cruel practice.

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What You Can Do
Please urge your legislators ([link removed]) to cosponsor the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act. Let's encourage Congress to swiftly pass this bill again and get a much-needed win for whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and other marine life. Then share this alert with your family, friends, and co-workers, and ask them to take action as well.

Sincerely,

Cathy Liss
President

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Photo by Doug Helton NOAA-NOS-ORR-ERD

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Animal Welfare Institute
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The Animal Welfare Institute is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. We seek better treatment of animals everywhere: in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild.

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