Good article on the device that is saving fish from the bends. If you fish, you should take a listen.
Each year, sport fishermen unintentionally kill millions of deep-water fish they don’t want or can’t keep. These fish die even though they are handled gently and released quickly. The reason: a condition called barotrauma, which divers know as “the bends.” The problem occurs in fish that have a swim bladder, an internal balloon that helps them control their buoyancy. When a fish is pulled up, “that balloon rapidly begins to expand as the pressure from the water decreases,” says Chris Lowe, a marine scientist at California State, Long Beach. So by the time a deep-water fish reaches the surface, he says, “its eyes could be popped out of its head, its stomach is pushed out of its mouth and it looks absolutely horrific.” Jon Hamilton reports. (KPLU)
http://kplu.org/post/how-anglers-are-learning-save-fish-get-bends
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: barotrauma, fishing, Puget Sound | 1 Comment »
