The other day, I blogged about fishing practices that can harm the environment and kill innocent sea life. While I am sure there are some out there that think all fishing practices are harmful, for those of us that do enjoy eating various types of fish, shrimp, clams, etc., there are sustainable methods of fishing which are much less harmful to marine life and their habitat.
What are some examples of sustainable fishing practices? One of the best is the old tried and true technique of hook and lining. That’s right – just have a rod with one line and several hooks. This allows the fishermen to quickly release any thing they catch that they don’t need.
But, of course, hand held hooks aren’t very practical for commercial fishing. However, trolling could be. Trolling is like hook and lining, but with rather than holding the rod, the individual lines are tied to a moving boat. The fishermen have the opportunity to catch many fish, while still being able to quickly release what they don’t want.
Another sustainable fishing practice is that of harpooning. With this practice, fishermen throw a harpoon at larger catch, such as a swordfish. Because the fishermen are aiming at specific fish, it makes unwanted catch almost non-existent.
Okay, harpooning a swordfish seems a bit hard, but think of the bragging rights you would have with friends. “That’s right, caught that one by throwing a harpoon at it.” If that seems too hard, there are always traps. Floating traps and weirs, which use wooden stakes to create a barrier from which the fish cannot escape, are another great sustainable fishing practice. And if you doubt the success, know that weirs date all the way back to Roman times. If it has been around that long, it must be good.
Shallow nets that are near the surface, known as reef nets, are a type of trap that is often used in the Northwest to catch salmon.
While there are sustainable fishing practices, the big hurdle is to convince commercial fishermen, who, of course, are looking for the easiest way to make the most money to quickest, to use them.
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