Drift nets float freely at the surface of the water with weights attacted to the bottom to keep it vertical in the water. They are place by fishing vessels and left free floating until retrieved. They are also refered to as gill nets, because the intent is to catch fish and there is the he tendency for the fishes' gills to get caught in the net.
But fish are not all these nets catch. They also catch 100's of sharks and sea mammals-Califorinia sea lions, endangered sea turtles, dolphins, endangered sperm whales, gray whales, and humpback whales.
Once sea mammals are caught in the drift net they became trapped and unable to surface- thus drowning since sea mammals have lungs and are air-breathing. Fishermen do not return to check the drift nets for long periods, leaving the mammals to die.
These deaths are not only cruel and unnecessay, but unsustainable as many of the mammals they trap are already endangered. We ask the Governor to ban drift nets off the coast of California and protect the wildlife in the Pacific Ocean.
Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 558-3160
Contact: http://gov.ca.gov/m_contact.php
