UN Calls for Global Action to Curb Fishing Bycatch

A United Nation’s wildlife summit is calling for steps to reduce on a global scale the incidental capture of sea birds, sea turtles, sharks and other nontarget species that get caught in fishing gear, often killing them.

The 12th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Convention on Migratory Species (COP 12), meeting in Manilla, adopted a resolution Oct. 28 to cut down on bycatch and improve data collection on species inadvertently captured. It also asks donor countries to “consider helping developing countries acquire and use relevant technology, and with appropriate education and training” of fishermen.

“Bycatch is a major ...