California has made it a priority to protect sea turtles and other marine life in the new state budget announced this week.
Gov. Gavin Newsom approved the allocation of $1.3 million to go to preventing sea turtles and marine mammals from being killed by swordfish fishing gear.
The funding is part of the $262.6 billion state budget for the new fiscal year, which started on July 1.
Sea turtles, dolphins, sea lions and whales are continually caught and killed in drift gill nets used by swordfish fishermen. These nylon nets are often a mile long and nearly impossible to escape once entangled.
The $1.3 million will be used in a buy-back program to persuade swordfish fishermen to trade their drift gill nets for deep-set buoy gear, which is designed to prevent ensnarement.
This initiative started in 2018, by the ocean conservation group Oceana, when state legislation passed aiming to phase out the use of the dangerous nets.
“We are absolutely thrilled to know that our children and grandchildren will grow up with a California ocean free of deadly drift gillnets," an Oceana spokesperson said. "We are so thankful to the legislature, Governor Newsom, and to donors who generously contributed funds toward this innovative transition program."
By 2024, California will no longer issue drift gill net permits. There is also federal legislation in the works that aims to eventually outlaw the gear.
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