Divers off the coast of the Cayman Islands found
hundreds of dead animals caught in an abandoned commercial fishing net. The
divers’ disturbing photos have gone viral.
The “ghost net has likely been drifting in
the Caribbean Sea for months, trapping and killing nearly everyone in its path.
In fact, the diver who captured the horrifying images said most of the animals
in the net were so decomposed that their species couldn’t be determined.
At first we thought it was a log, but as we got closer we could see it was a net with floats. I jumped in the water first and was shocked at what I saw. It took my breath away—the first thing I saw was the juvenile oceanic whitetip [shark]. I got my buddy who was with me to grab a knife and jump in. We did what we could to free some of the trapped life but most of it was already dead.
World Animal Protection reports that 640,000
tons of gear are lost and pollute oceans each year. In 2016 there were 71
reported cases of whales caught in abandoned fishing gear off
the U.S. Pacific coast.
Human consumption of seafood is responsible
for the deaths of countless sharks, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and
porpoises. The National Journal
estimates that about 20 percent of all fish caught in commercial trawling nets
is “bycatch, or unwanted animals.
Recent video footage released by Mercy For
Animals, SeaLegacy, Sharkwater, and Turtle Island Restoration Network reveals
how marine animals—including dolphins, sea lions, and seabirds—are routinely
trapped and killed
in the commercial fishing industry’s driftnets. Animals were
documented being cut apart, pierced with hooks, caught in nets, and left to
suffocate aboard driftnet fishing boats off the coast of California.
See for yourself.
You can help protect marine life by urging the
California legislature to ban driftnets. Click here to take action.
The best thing we can do to remove our support
from the cruel fishing industry is to leave fish off our plates and switch to a
compassionate vegan diet.
Ready to get started? Check out all the amazing vegan versions of seafood, such as
Gardein’s fishless filets and crabless
cakes. And click here for compassionate sea-inspired recipes.