Lost and dumped fishing net removal efforts in the Puget Sound just got a boost with the help of US$4.6 million dollars in federal funds. The stimulus package will help unemployed commercial divers find a new livelihood while removing almost all of the lethal nets from the environment.
There are thousands of abandoned or lost nets slowly choking the Puget Sound region; the nets are a hazard to divers, boats and sea life, and are responsible for killing tens of thousands of marine mammals and birds each year.
“Derelict fishing nets are actively killing enormous numbers of fish, seabirds and other marine animals. We now have the funding needed to get 90% of the derelict nets out of Puget Sound forever. These waters will be safer for boaters, divers, and marine life,” explained Ginny Broadhurst from the Northwest Straits Foundation.
The project will clear an estimated 3000 nets from the seafloor and restore 645 acres of marine habitat while employing 40 people.
Visit: www.derelictgear.org
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