California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law aimed at protecting marine life by gradually phasing out the use of set gillnets, a type of commercial fishing gear linked to widespread ocean harm. Assembly Bill 1056 addresses the long-standing environmental threat posed by these nets while providing a pathway for fishermen to transition away from their use.
Set gillnets are mile-long nets anchored to the seafloor to catch species like California halibut and white seabass, but their near-invisible design makes them deadly for hundreds of other marine animals. Scientists and conservationists have documented high levels of bycatch, including sea lions, sharks, rays, and other fish, much of which is discarded. Despite decades of partial bans in Northern and Central California, the nets continued to be used in federal waters off Southern California and state waters around the Channel Islands, one of the most biodiverse ocean regions in the world.
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