Mexican Illegal Fishers in U.S. Waters
There’s a great video report upon on the Washington Post’s website here (or click the photo).
The report highlights the illegal fishing conducted by Mexican fishermen in U.S. waters off Texas. They use gill nets, which are so destructive that they are banned in the U.S. And the Coast Guard interview tells us that the fishermen come to U.S. waters because “there are no fish left” in Mexico because of these nets.
***Correction***
Thanks to Eva and her comment. It seems the WaPo got their facts wrong. Gillnets are banned in some state waters, including Texas. Also, the WaPo video is no longer up, it seems. Here’s a better NPR interview I’ve since found.
Gill nets can be incredibly destructive, but what do you mean, they are banned in the US? I just started work as a fisheries observer in NC, and gill netting is the most common form of fishing here – especially for southern flounder.
Thanks, Eva. Your comment is much appreciated. I’ve just added a correction to the blog post.