All Los Angeles–Area Cities Should Ban Pier Fishing, Says PETA
All Los Angeles–Area Cities Should Ban Pier Fishing, Says PETA
For Immediate Release:
July 10, 2014
Contact:
Alexis Sadoti 202-483-7382
On the heels of Manhattan Beach’s decision to implement a 60-day ban on pier fishing following an angler-provoked shark attack on a swimmer, PETA—which has called on Manhattan Beach’s mayor to make the ban permanent—sent letters today asking the mayors of other coastal Los Angeles–area cities with saltwater piers to ban pier fishing permanently because of the threat it poses to humans and wildlife.
As PETA points out in the letters—sent to the mayors of Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach, Malibu, Redondo Beach, Port Hueneme, Avalon, and Long Beach—fishing has been known to provoke shark attacks, as hooked sharks naturally become agitated and sharks who normally would avoid humans and rarely attack without provocation can be attracted by blood and bait dangling in the water. Discarded fishing tackle is also a major cause of injuries for aquatic animals—and of course, all fish suffer when they’re impaled, pulled from their natural environments, and left to suffocate.
“Last weekend, the world saw how dangerous pier fishing is for everyone—human swimmers and wildlife alike,” says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “PETA is calling on the mayors of these coastal towns to take steps to protect all of their residents now, before disaster strikes again.”
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
PETA’s letters to the mayors are available upon request.
