Gill netting is a commercial fishing practice that indiscriminately catches nearly everything in its path. Hundreds of nets are set each night both in Mexico and three miles off the California coast and deplete not only fish populations, but also those of seals, sea lions, sharks, turtles, and crustaceans.

“The efforts put forth by the Mexican marine authorities to remove the net were unprecedented,” said West. “Having our members report the abandonment helped lead the way for a win-win situation for Mexico and the United States. The by-catch of these abandoned nets severely erodes any efforts in effectively protecting the ocean environment. We are grateful for the swift action taken to prevent further incidental kills.”

In November SDOF members Marty Snyderman, Mark Thurlow, and Howard Hall discovered the net near the Lobster Shack. They revisited the following day and were concerned the net had been abandoned since it had not been monitored. As professional photographers and marine conservationists, each documented the net’s devastating effects. A total of five sea lions, one cormorant and a shark reportedly fell victim.

Because of the large percentage of “incidental kill,” or animals that are caught and then thrown back into the ocean dead because they are “undesirable,” the practice of gill netting in near shore waters was banned in 1990 in the State of California. Most divers, line fishers and spear fishers agree that since the law’s passage, the stocks of halibut, white seabass and several other kinds of fish have rebounded. However, because gill netting is still an active fishery in both Mexico and three miles off the California coast, hundreds of marine mammals and other marine species still perish every night.

For more information on the SDOF, visit their web site at www.sdoceans.org.

L.A. Underwater Hockey Now at Two Locations
Underwater Hockey is now being played in Los Angeles County in two locations during the week. Tuesday evenings play is 7:45 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at Lynwood Natatorium. Scuba Schools of America hosts competition on Thursday evenings 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at their Woodland Hills location. For more information, visit www.geocities.com/glacd/uwhockey/lauhssa.htm on the web.

Monterey Bay Aquarium looking for Underwater Explorers Program Leader
Monterey Bay Aquarium is seeking leaders for their Underwater Explorers Program. The Leader will be responsible for delivering Underwater Explorers programs to the public on our outside deck and in the Great Tide Pool. They are the primary response for water safety and rescue of participants while teaching children ages 8-13 about the natural history of our tidepools and ocean. They will introduce participants to the use of specialized SCUBA gear; serve as in-water interpreter of the habitat and animals of our Great Tide Pool exhibit, and deliver educational programs to family audiences on a microphone. They are also responsible for daily Husbandry maintenance of the Great Tide Pool exhibit and animals, as well as minor repair of Underwater Explorers equipment.

Specific qualifications are required.

Interested applicants please submit a cover letter, and resume and three current letters of recommendation by March 15, 2004 to: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Attn: Human Resources, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940. Email Jobs@mbayaq.org (EOE/Committed to Diversity).

Buddy-Up to Protect Reefs
Divers in the U.S. are being asked to team up with dive buddies and park managers around the world in an exciting campaign to support coral reef protected areas. Participating dive operators, clubs and associations will organize fund-raising events leading up to Earth Day (April 22), and the proceeds will pay for conservation projects at some of the world’s most spectacular dive sites.

The “Coral Parks Buddy Program” is being launched as part of the annual Dive In To Earth Day event coordinated by the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL). Anyone can participate by organizing a fund-raising event in support of one of a number of selected projects that will be listed on the Dive In website (www.coral.org/divein). CORAL is currently researching several prospects, including mooring buoy installations, educational programs for local school children, motors for patrol boats, and scuba classes for local leaders, in places like Fiji, Indonesia, Honduras, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and Palau. Selected projects will be announced during the first week of December.

“This is a great opportunity for divers in the U.S. to give something back to the places they love to visit,” says Brian Huse, Executive Director of CORAL. “It’s a lot easier to raise a few hundred dollars here than it is from a remote island in a developing country, and that money can go a long way toward protecting local reefs. You could hold fund-raising slide shows, raffles, dinners or film screenings — there are countless ideas, most of which are a lot of fun. By being a ‘Park Buddy,’ people can support a project of their choice in a coral reef marine protected area, and see results of their donation.”

Coral reefs are in danger. Eleven percent of the world’s coral reefs have already been lost, and another 32 percent will be lost in the next 30 years if human threats are not reduced. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely acknowledged as the most effective means of protecting coral reefs. The 2004 Dive In To Earth Day Campaign is aimed at supporting coral reef MPA managers and the dive operators that work with them.

Dive In To Earth Day was developed to combat the lack of public attention to coral reefs and ocean issues. Since 2000, more than 134,500 people have organized 874 events in more than 80 countries around the world, including beach cleanups, mooring installations, educational snorkeling trips for schoolchildren, and reef monitoring events. CORAL coordinates Dive In with the support of Project AWARE Foundation, Earth Day Network, International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) and West Marine.

For more information, visit: http://www.coral.org/divein.

Cell Phone Dive Log
With the introduction of the new DL Diver’s Log from R3 Interactive Products, divers have a new, and highly innovative tool available to help them log their dives and keep track of important information. This product, which is available exclusively online, is the first of its kind that integrates your java-enabled cell phone with interactive software for divers.

According to R3 Interactive officials, “There are features that we have included that help divers record dives, bottom times, and much more. They only need a java enabled cell phone.”

Modern technology allows users to simply purchase the product and then download the software directly to their cell phone. For more information, visit www.r3interactive.com.
- From Divenewswire.com