Fishing Industry
Due to close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the fishing industry is very big in the Pacific Northwest. Commercial fishing plays a large role in the economy. In 2007, the overall income from commercial fisheries in Washington state was approximately $3.9 billion (Ratke). The average annual catch for all fish species in the Pacific Northwest is approximately 22.5 metric ton for a 10 year period from 2000 to 2010 (Fish Site). There is no reason to harvest all these fishes without their being a demand for them. Due to the convenience of being around the Pacific Ocean, seafood is very popular in the Pacific Northwest. This creates a constant demand for it, thus increasing the over-exploitation of fishes (SF Watch). |
How do they catch the fishes?
Longline Longlines are especially used for catching tuna. It uses a large horizontal fishing line that is usually between 50-65 nautical miles long. Longlines would have multiple vertical lines with baited hooks on the bottom (SF Watch). A large amount of fish can be caught using this method, leading to over-exploitation Why this method is especially harmful is due to the fact that it indiscriminately catches fish. Fishermen just have longlines out, allowing for any fish or marine animal to get caught, leading to bycatch. |
Trawling
The method known as trawling involves using a boat to tow a large net. This net is open at the top to allow fish to get inside. There are tiny meshes in the net to keep the fishes trapped inside the net. As the boats continue to move, more fish gets captured by the net. They then use gears to pull the nets up (NOAA). Large amount of fish is caught using this method. Contributes to bycatch due to the fact that it does not actively select for specific species. Bottom trawling will also capture other marine animals like turtles that get tangled into the net by accident(NOAA). |
Purse Seine
This fishing method uses a long net to encircle the fishes. The net is usually 200 meters deep and 1.6 kilometer long. The top line is kept above the water level with floats while the bottom line has a lead line connecting the rings on the bottom. After surrounding the fishes, the lead line is pulled, causing the bottom to close, preventing escape. The net is then pulled up along with the fish (NOAA). Also a non-selective method of capturing fish, so bycatch of other marine animals will get trapped (NOAA). |