NGO threatens legal action over crab fishery entanglements
A record numbers of 71 whales were entangled in fishing gear last year on the west coast of the US and now legal action is being threatened in California to force authorities to address the issue.
Crab fishing is a major cause of the problem and the Centre for Biological Diversity is arguing that California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife is failing to comply with the country’s Endangered Species Act by allowing fishing gear to be used that is causing harm to species such as humpback whales and other wildlife such as turtles.
The next crab season begins in November and the group is pressing for immediate preventative action to be taken to ensure a reduction in entanglements this year.
