Fishing gear that can kill up to 40 times its weight could be banned in the United States as a result of record CO02 levels, a panel of federal regulators said on Tuesday.
“The impacts of CO2 and CO2-related diseases are mounting on the fishing industry, and this is another step in the right direction in addressing these threats,” the Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement.
The EPA said the US is the second-highest polluter of fish in the world, behind only China.
The agency has urged fishers to limit fishing to no more than 300,000 fish per year.
It said it will also ask state and local governments to do the same.
The US is one of the most polluted countries in the western world, with emissions of more than 400,000 tons of CO02 per year, more than double the European Union average.
