Thousands of rare sea birds and hundreds of marine mammals are being entangled and killed in fishing nets in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary off California’s central coast — and it’s all perfectly legal. Though national marine sanctuaries are established to protect marine resources, commercial and recreational fishing is generally allowed in the areas, and commercial halibut fishing in the Monterey Bay sanctuary is on the rise. Biologists with the National Marine Fisheries Service are alarmed by the increasing wildlife deaths and last year began posting observers on some halibut fishing boats. Enviros are now pushing for tighter fishing restrictions in the sanctuaries.
