Author of Plan to Ban Gill Nets Decries the Waste They Create

Regarding Steven Burklund’s letter “Moves Against Use of Gill Nets Is Overreaction” (May 13), as a senior citizen and lifetime resident of the Southern California coast, I must take issue with him.

Before the advent of the gill nets, both commercial and sport fishing was far more prolific than it is now. First they depleted the white sea bass off Palos Verdes, then the halibut from all up and down the coast, then the marlin, and in the last few years, the local bass, barracuda and bonita.

Burklund sounds like an honest, responsible commercial fisherman. But, unfortunately, there are so many cheaters out there that the honest ones are being forced out. The dishonest ones don’t care about permits or mesh size restrictions.

Most of the gill-net fishing I’ve come across is occurring in the black of night. I’ve found nets as small as half the legally required gauge being used, thereby wiping out many of the smaller game fish and even bait fish.

The biggest problem with gill nets is that they’re indiscriminate; they wipe out total areas of all fish especially when used by dishonest fishermen who don’t care how many unwanted fish or mammals they kill, just so they can make the maximum profit.

When these nets break loose, as they often do, and are lost, they become floating massacres, destroying everything in their paths for who knows how many years; their nylon composition never deteriorates.

There’s really no viable solution, except to completely ban them.

IRVING E. FRIEDMAN

Laguna Niguel