Noone has yet been charged but the Department of Marine and Wildlife resources has confiscated drift gillnets that one fisherman was using at Pala Lagoon earlier this month.

The fisherman fled when DMWR staff, alerted by a resident, arrived at the scene leaving his nets and other equipment behind.

Under local law it is illegal to engage in drift gillnet fishing. It is also unlawful to sell any nets to be used for drift gillnet fishing and the sale of fish caught by drift gillnets is banned.

DMWR Director Nathan Ilaoa said there have been two incidents of gillnet fishing reported from Nuuuli Pala Lagoon recently and one in Pago Pago Harbor.

“They’re using drift gill nets on Sundays or at night knowing that our enforcement offices are not at work,” he said.

In the most recent incident two turtles were found in the nets.

Some of the nets used are 600 to 700 ft long.

The danger is these nets result in high amount of bycatch, they ensnare and kill small fish and species such as sea turtles. When entangled the nets are discarded and contribute to pollution in the fragile wetland ecosystem.

DMWR Director Ilaoa said overtime costs have been approved so that their enforcement team can monitor violators in evenings and the weekends.

He is thankful to members of the public who are reporting incidents of gillnet fishing to DMWR.

A seafood vendors workshop is being planned and stores and restaurants will be briefed on the law and made aware of the types of fish that are caught using gillnet, which they must not accept.

Photo: Screenshot of DMWR video