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New tech could prevention whales tangled successful sportfishing cogwheel
San Francisco — San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, known to galore arsenic a tourer attraction, harbors a tiny fleet of sportfishing boats that mightiness different beryllium catching crabs this clip of year.
However, migrating endangered humpback whales are present swimming successful the aforesaid waters extracurricular the Golden Gate strait wherever crabs are, and agelong lines of enactment that fishermen traditionally usage to propulsion up crab cages person entangled excessively galore humpbacks.
Since 2007, astatine slightest 922 humpback whales person been maimed oregon killed by these ropes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Fisherman Brand Little is capable to support bringing up his drawback from the water level due to the fact that helium is utilizing a high-tech strategy that involves a remote-controlled pop-up balloon-like instrumentality that signals the crab cage to caput to the ocean's surface. Little is fixed support by the authorities to food erstwhile immoderate others cannot due to the fact that of his usage of the experimental device, which limits the magnitude of enactment needed.
The U.S. subject developed this exertion successful bid to deploy weapons and sensors from the water floor. But for fishermen, spending different $50 a cage for the pop-up strategy successful an already cash-strapped manufacture is simply a hard sell.
"What you person to retrieve astir fishermen is, these guys person conscionable nonaccomplishment aft nonaccomplishment aft nonaccomplishment aft loss," Little told CBS News. "So, there's precise small accidental left."
The pop-up cogwheel has critics among immoderate fishermen who accidental it shouldn't beryllium used. That disapproval is rooted successful contented and finance. Many fishermen inherited their commercialized and don't privation alteration oregon authorities involution into their sportfishing practices. Financially, it volition outgo them wealth to usage the caller devices, and they assertion that their margins are already excessively thin.
"I was 1 of the biggest critics of it," Little said. "So, I acceptable retired to beryllium that it wouldn't work. And I benignant of had to devour a small spot of crow due to the fact that aft I did it, I said, hold a minute, you know, this mightiness work."
For astir 3 years now, Little heads retired astatine midnight nether the Golden Gate Bridge to retrieve his drawback portion utilizing the pop-up technology. He says helium has not injured a azygous humpback whale portion utilizing it.
The exertion is an experimentation sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is tasked with regulating the crab sportfishing season. It does truthful done a assortment of mechanisms, including requiring licenses and validations, mounting sportfishing seasons, limiting the fig of crab that tin beryllium taken, and implementing trap restrictions to support whales and different marine life.
"This year, we shortened it (the season) fixed the heightened hazard of migrating whales coming backmost up the coast," CDFW manager Chuck Bonham told CBS News.
The commercialized Dungeness crab play traditionally starts successful November and runs done astir May. However, Bonham cut the play short by 2 months this year, delaying the commencement until January.
Little was not affected, however, due to the fact that of his usage of the experimental device. He tin support sportfishing and hopes his concern of $25,000 volition wage disconnected by catching much crabs without injuring whales.
"The happening the whales devour for food, tiny small food called krill, those krill moved much inshore, and the whales followed them, close wherever our sportfishing men and women enactment their gear," Bonham said. "That has meant, each year, we've been entangling whales."
Less than a period aft arriving astatine KPIX 5 arsenic the 5pm co-anchor and night-side reporter, Elizabeth Cook was successful San Francisco's Mission District covering a chaotic Occupy march erstwhile a protester shoved her and her cameraman. With lone moments to spare, the squad got to information and filed their study for the 11 p.m. news.
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