There is an effort around the globe to minimize peripheral damage to the environment. And for this many new technology have been developed to maintain the mairne eco system of any countries by using these fishing methods. Environment chiefs believe Bermuda can sustain a small scale longline fishing industry without seriously threatening the island’s marine environment.
Longling fishing has been tried in Bermuda waters which revealed 36 blue sharks were killed during two months of trial expeditions into the 200-mile exclusive economic zone. Under a ‘use it or lose it’ clause in international fishing regulations, Bermuda risks having its annual quotas for swordfish and tuna reassigned to other nations if it does not harvest them.
Dr Fred Ming, director of environment protection, informed that the fish would be caught anyway but Bermuda wouldn’t get the benefit. Environmentalists have raised objections to longline fishing, principally because of the threat posed to other species like sharks and turtles. The report of the trial expedition states that six endangered loggerhead turtles were also incidentally caught during the expedition, though all were released alive.
The report failed to indicate threats to sea-birds, like the Cahow, with the method of using deep-set hooks ensuring that no birds were incidentally caught during the trial in early 2007. Officials at the Department of Environmental Protection believe the ‘by-catch’ for smaller local vessels (one is already operating in Bermudian waters) would be considerably less and are currently compiling and assessing data from local boats.
According to Dr. Ming longline fishing had never been prohibited in Bermuda and that his department was not attempting to create a new industry. The research will also inform Government policy on how many longline fishing boats Bermuda could sustain and what regulations they should operate under. He added that fishing was part of Bermuda’s culture and an essential aspect of the island’s economy.
