In Reply to: Holy cow Phil! posted by Eric S on December 30, 2007 at 21:12:39:

but I'm not defending it. I'm just saying it needs to be fought differently.

The net probably is marked legally and sufficiently to ID it. It could be a poacher, setting a net in a closed area, or outside of the season.

But it could very well just be a legal net that drifted away. I'm not sure if that's a crime. It happens all the time. Do a google search on ghost net or derelict fishing gear.

But even in a legal set, during the season, used properly, etc, etc, etc, these nets do a lot of killing. They have a lot of bycatch. Whether the net stays on position and is checked periodically or not, it's going to kill mammals, birds, and turtles.

This is why I always shake my head when people get upset when one guy brings in one big shark and it makes the paper. Nets like this do a lot more killing every day. But that's OK, as long as there is a good price on thresher shark down at the store, right?

Next time you are down at 22nd st landing, head to the east end of 22nd St to the commercial fishing dock. Or next time you're on the Peace, look at the boats around it. These drift nets are very, very common.