Improvements that made bottom trawling more gentle | West Coast of US

The trawl fisheries of the West Coast have been leading the charge for decades to make fishing practices more sustainable here, adopting a wide range of regulations and fishing gear changes. Hear from world re-known fisheries scientist Ray Hilborn (University of Washington) and fishermen Kurt Cochran who has been on the forefront of fishing gear innovation. 1) Since the early 2000s, a special effort has been made to avoid overfished species, sensitive habitats or breeding grounds that could be affected by the West Coast Groundfish fleets. Nowadays, 90% of the West Coast's continental shelf is off-limits to bottom trawling, which gives protection to sensitive and significant habitats, but allows fishermen to fish less sensitive muddy or sandy areas. 2) Trawl gear has seen great technological innovations over the past decades making it both more efficient and sustainable. Gear has evolved to be lighter, smarter and more gentle to reduce bottom contact, and much more selective which has resulted in drastic reductions in bycatch levels. To learn more: www.positivelygroundfish.org Or follow us on Instagram: @positively_groundfish