What would you think if you woke up to huge trenches being dug in your backyard and everyday it got worse? Soon the remaining grass and trees would die because of the destruction of the ecosystem. This is what happens daily on the hard bottom of the Gulf of Mexico when fish trappers drag enormous grappling hooks in an attempt to locate their boxes of death.
Now we have the chance to stop this! The Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council is now considering a ban on fish traps in Gulf waters. Now is the time to act! We need you to sign on to an individual petition or endorse a group letter, so we can present a strong case against the fish traps in upcoming Council meetings.
We need your help to BAN fish traps in the Gulf of Mexico! The problem with fish traps is the destruction of livebottom habitat caused by the dragging of large grappling hooks 100,000 times a year or more to locate and retrieve unbuoyed traps. The problem with fish traps is the killing of juvenile snappers and groupers that can't escape through the small trap mesh -- and the wasteful killing of tropical reef fish that can comprise up to 54% of the fish caught in a trap.
But you can do something, read on to find out! Strong organized opposition to the proposed ban is expected from fish trappers. That's why we need concerned friends of the reefs like you to stand up and be counted by signing the enclosed individual sign-on letter and/or collecting petitions.
The Problem With Fish Traps Listen to a fish trapper that asked to remain anonymous:
"The juveniles not going to market are tossed overboard. They bloat up from the rapid pressure change during the haul and never survive. You should see some of the fish slicks that are created out there. They also play hell on coral reefs. We have no idea how a series of traps will set on the reef below. The rope connecting several traps often wedges between coral. We hit reefs when we drag out grapnels to snag our lines, sometimes bringing up some large chunks. The ropes and traps also tear up the reefs when we haul up"
Think of it. Fifty-four percent of a fish trap haul may consist of beautiful tropical fish like angelfish, trunkfish, surgeonfish, butterfly fish, parrotfish, and wrasses -- just to name a few. These fish species are not just beautiful; they are grazers necessary to the ecosystem, in order to keep the reef free of algal growth. Without these fish, reef areas may become exposed to algal overgrowth.
The fish trapped inside these traps often beat themselves to death in an attempt to escape before the fishermen pull the traps. This results in waste of those fish who die in the trap and cannot be sold.
Ghost traps continue to kill even though they are not being pulled by trappers.
Many juvenile fishes are caught in the traps along with the adults and they never get a chance to grow up and reproduce.
These abuses have to be stopped!!
We need your written support as soon as possible! Gulf Council voting members need to see support for the banning of fish traps. There's a big battle ahead to get the Council to actually ban fish traps and shift less than 150 fishermen away from a type of gear that is indiscriminate in its catches, kills undersize juvenile snappers and groupers, and destroys bottom habitats.
Your involvement now will help preserve our reef fish populations for the future.
Thanks for helping!
ALEXANDER STONE Director
P.S. -- Do it now! Sign on to the individual petition or add your and help ban fish traps in the Gulf of Mexico!!