The trawl method everyone is in a fuss over is called using " roller gear " and " tickler chains " in front of deepwater trawls .. mid water trawlers have a limited bycatch compared to the vessels that drag their nets along the bottom and destroy everything in their paths ... I spent 15 years of my life on fishing vessels of various types.... all of them tenders, hook and line or trap boats. I have seen tons of chinook salmon thrown overboard in Alaska (near Ketchikan) due mainly to the indescriminate nature of seine nets in open water and the fact that Chinook could not be taken on that particular opener, but in three days it was "OK" to have a bycatch of Chinook during that period ( I have some pretty cool pictures of the bears that came to eat the salmon that we were not allowed to take to a cannery ). I do know hundreds of people that are or were involved in the trawl industy and I have heard so many horror stories of the captain targeting a particular area that might hold the boats quota of one sort of fish and having to pitch fork thousands of pounds of halibut and various other bottom fish overboard just to take their maximum quota of some other "trash" fish to the dock and get a paycheck. I do not believe that all nets should be banned, but what I do believe is that commercial trawlers should not be allowed to build boats or practice methods that are a detriment to the ecosystem . If they can't practice their trade in the places that produce less fish, but allow for a sustainable population then don't give them a second chance, revoke their permits and then cut their boats up for scrap .If you did that to one or two of the worst offenders the other folks would not be tempted to partake in such deeds......... It can be done and done in a fair manner , but if the laws dont have any teeth then the jackels will sneak in and take the spoils and throw the rest overboard .....Oh and by the way, if you don't already know this Tyson foods is one of the biggest offenders in this matter , they own a very large portion of the Quota's in Washington and Alaska and have the equipment and technology to take every last pound that they are allowed .... If you buy processed chicken or seafoood products there is a good chance that you are supporting this sort of enviromental destruction ....... "Chicken of the sea" takes on a whole new meaning once you have a different perspective.........just my opinion ...and some facts ...... Von Warner