The problem with drift nets is their indiscriminate killing power. While it's easy for a commercial angler to claim they only target mullet or flounder, other fish species, birds, and turtles obviously aren't privy to such information. Also, while nets are supposed to be tended by their owner to minimize unintended consequences, this doesn't always happen (sometimes it rarely happens). So what netters end up with is a whole lot of by-catch - all the creatures they don't want or cant sell as designated commercial species (including redfish). And while netters are supposed to report by-catch, there is little incentive do so, especially if they kill endangered species such as turtles or gamefish such as redfish. It is easier to simply dump the evidence and go about your business or underreport by-catch that can be sold such as redfish. Gill netters in North Carolina regularly exceed their state sanctioned quota for by-catch, which in reality is likely far higher than what actually gets reported. In 2013, netters officially exceeded their redfish by-catch quota by more than 10,000 pounds! Given the environmental impact of gill nets, they represent a sort of tyranny of the minority. In other words, a small number of netters have an inordinate impact on the environment and the ability of others, such as guides, to make a living.
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| green turtle caught in drift net |
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