The California coastline is the most beautiful in the country. Its waters are ecologically rich, home to majestic marine animals like sea turtles, dolphins, and whales.
The federal waters off California’s coast are also one of the last places where deadly large-mesh driftnets are still used to catch swordfish .
These nets can stretch longer than a mile. Sadly, they don’t discriminate between swordfish and other marine animals, and they kill whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and other species. These unintended catches, known as bycatch, would normally be released back into the ocean, but often they’re dead by the time fishing boats reach the nets.