VOA慢速英语--研究人员丢失的捕鱼设备威胁海洋生命

Researchers: Lost Fishing Equipment Threatens Ocean Life

Researchers are worried about the fishing equipment they call "ghost nets," floating around the Pacific Ocean. The nets threaten sea animals and pollute coastal¹ areas.

Often lost many years ago, the fishing gear² continues to kill ocean life and damage coral reefs⁴ in Hawaii.

A ghost net study is being led by biologist Jennifer Lynch, from Hawaii Pacific University. She said it will be difficult in many cases to identify the source of the ghost equipment.

If they fail to find a source, she said, "that's going to be increased evidence for policymakers to see the importance of gear marking," Lynch said.

Lynch said she is not interested in blaming anyone. Instead, she hopes the study will find new ways to prevent damage to the environment.

Drew McWhirter is a graduate student at Hawaii Pacific University and one of the study's lead researchers. His biggest concern is that the equipment keeps killing⁵ fish and other wildlife long after it is lost. Some of the animals that are being killed are endangered like Hawaiian monk⁶ seals, seabirds and turtles.

The nets "leave a path of destruction, pulling coral heads out, and can cause a lot of ecological⁷ damage," McWhirter said.

The ghost nets pollute oceans around the world. But the Hawaiian Islands are in the middle of two very large areas of ocean pollution. To the Islands' east lies the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a 1.6 million square kilometer floating mass of waste. To the west there is another large area of floating waste in the ocean.

It is difficult to know where the ghost nets came from. They are believed to have come from many different countries. Few have any identifying marks or features. Experts believe many nets are lost accidentally. But some illegal fishing boats leave nets in the water to avoid being caught. Other fishermen cut away pieces of damaged nets instead of recovering them.

The research team gets ghost nets from three places: The main Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii's longline fishery, and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are part of the Papahanaumokuakea National Marine⁸ Monument. It is the largest protected environment in the United States. It also is recognized as a United Nations World Heritage⁹ Site. A cleanup effort there in April gathered nearly 45 metric tons of nets and other lost gear.

Researchers look at about 70 different features of each piece of net, including the kinds of material used.

Raquel Corniuk is a researcher at the university. She said the team looks at things like whether the net is twisted or braided, and how many pieces of rope the net has.

The information is entered into a database¹⁰, which will help scientists identify manufacturers and possibly individual fisheries or nations.

The researchers have found nets from all parts of the Pacific, including Asian countries and the U.S. West Coast. Many ghost nets come from less developed nations. Those countries have few fishing rules and sometimes buy or manufacture low-quality nets.

Brian Fujimoto is a fisherman who now works for a net manufacturer in the state of Washington. He said nets from poor countries are usually weaker.

Fujimoto said his company uses technology, colors and markings to identify their products. But making that a rule for the industry is "only going to happen with the more industrialized nations, say for example, the U.S., Canada, Japan," Fujimoto said.

Jonathan Moore is with the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the U.S. State Department.

Last year, Moore said: "Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which is sometimes associated with ghost gear, is among the greatest threats" to oceans. Gear markings and rules, he added, should be "a central pillar of all responsible fisheries management operations."

Words in This Story

gear — n. supplies, tools, or clothes needed for a special purpose

coral reef³ —n. a long line of coral that develops on warm ocean waters

endangered — adj. used to describe a type of animal or plant that has become rare and that could die out completely

ecology — n. a science that deals with the relationships between groups of living things and their environments

origin — n. the point or place where something begins or is created : the source or cause of something

feature — n. an interesting or important part, quality, ability, etc.

braid — n. a piece of cord or ribbon made of three or more strands¹¹ woven together

pillar — n. a basic fact, idea, or principle of something

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 gear   

n.齿轮，传动装置，设备，衣服；vt.使适应

参考例句：

• We have to gear our lives to the new changes.我们必须使自己的生活适应新的变化。
• The teeth of the wheel gear into each other.齿轮互相啮合。

3 reef   

n.礁，礁石，暗礁

参考例句：

• The ship and its crew were lost on the reef.那条船及船员都触礁遇难了。
• The ship was wrecked on a coral reef.这条船在珊瑚暗礁上撞毁了。

4 reefs   

礁体

参考例句：

• The motorboat cut across swift currents and skirted dangerous reefs. 汽艇穿过激流，绕过险滩。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Fish are abundant about the reefs. 暗礁附近鱼很多。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

7 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

8 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

9 heritage   

n.传统，遗产，继承物

参考例句：

• The ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.这些古建筑是民族遗产的一部分。
• We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。

10 database   

n.数据库 （=databank）

参考例句：

• I discovered some new information in the database.我在资料库里发现了一些新信息。
• We planned to build an online database.我们计划建一个联机数据库。

11 strands   

n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Twist a length of rope from strands of hemp. 用几股麻搓成了一段绳子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She laced strands into a braid. 她把几股线编织成一根穗带。 来自《简明英汉词典》