How fishing bycatch ravages the oceans

+ reunions can be painful – just ask Odysseus US Edition - Today's top story: Lobsters versus right whales: The latest chapter in a long quest to make fishing more sustainable [View in browser]( US Edition | 12 January 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Lobster’s image as a prestigious food took a hit in 2022 when several nonprofits advised consumers not to eat it. The reason: Critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are dying when they become entangled in fishing gear, and lobster fishing puts tons of rope in waters where right whales swim. This isn’t the first controversy over bycatch – species fishermen kill in pursuit of something else. Texas A&M maritime historian Blake Earle sees parallels in past campaigns that led tuna fishermen and shrimpers to adopt safer gear, reducing harm to dolphins and sea turtles, respectively. But it’s not clear whether North Atlantic right whales can hold on till the lobster industry agrees to a similar fix. What’s more, Earle warns, with world demand for seafood rising, the enormous toll of bycatch [requires faster, broader progress](. Also today: - [How DALL-E devalues art’s journey from idea to canvas]( - [Why meditation can be as effective as medication]( - [Past presidents’ legal troubles offer lessons for Trump’s]( Jennifer Weeks Senior Environment + Energy Editor Lobster fishing uses a lot of rope, and whales can die after becoming entangled in it. MyLoupe/Universal Images Group via Getty Images [Lobsters versus right whales: The latest chapter in a long quest to make fishing more sustainable]( Blake Earle, Texas A&M University To fish the oceans sustainably, nations must reduce bycatch, or accidental catches. But fishermen often resist changing gear or techniques that kill nontargeted species. Health + Medicine - [Meditation and mindfulness offer an abundance of health benefits and may be as effective as medication for treating certain conditions]( Hilary A. 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