Divers Remove Deadly Fishing Net
Two years ago, the fishing trawler Infidel sank a few miles off the southern tip of Catalina, and took with it a nine thousand pound fishing net that grew tangled over the wreak and became a deadly trap for sea life, killing dolphins, sharks, seals and sea lions, and other sea life that became entangled in the net and could not escape. Made of polypropylene and hemp, the net had the potential to last thousands of years, killing countless animals.
But that began to change this past Sunday, when a team of divers including Avalon Mayor Bob Kennedy made the first of what will be many trips to the wreck of the Infidel, and, armed with fillet knives and shears, began to cut away the net. Once sections had been freed, they were attached to air bags and sent to the surface, where they were taken aboard the 75-foot trawler Captain Jack.
The expedition was organized by the Orange County-based nonprofit Ocean Defenders Alliance.
You can read more about the expedition in the LA Times and Orange County Register.
Posted by Jeff Lewis on January 13th, 2009 | Posted in Diving, Island Update |
