California considers regulating ‘wasteful’ set gillnet fishing offshore

By Suzanne Potter, Producer for Public News Service

Coroner: Aaron Carter accidentally drowned in bathtub

By City News Service

Massive mile-long gillnets weighted to the seafloor three miles off the California coast are set to catch halibut or sea bass - but end up entangling more than 125 species of marine life - according to a new report from Oceana and the Turtle Island Restoration Network. The California Fish and Game Commission met Wednesday and is scheduled to meet again Thursday to discuss whether the bycatch is at acceptable levels.

Caitlynn Birch, Pacific marine scientist for Oceana, said 64% of the animals caught in this are thrown back to sea.

"This high rate of bycatch raises concerns over the fishery's wastefulness and impacts on California's marine biodiversity," she said. "However, fishery managers have not been tracking how much fishing effort is occurring in the set gillnet fishery, so we don't actually know the true toll on wildlife."

The analysis found that the set gillnets are ensnaring sharks, skates, rays, endangered whales, sea lions and many species of commercial and recreational fish, including damaged and undersized California halibut, rock crab, sand bass and lingcod. 29 fishing boats currently hold permits to fish three miles offshore, and reducing the number of fishing permits would be one sure way to reduce gillnet bycatch, she said.

"California voters and fishery managers have taken action in the past to ban this non-selective gear in near-shore waters, which has resulted in major rebounds of vulnerable fish and marine mammal populations," Birch said. "So, we do know that removing these nets has a positive impact on many vulnerable species in California."

The Fish and Game Commission has a toolkit of options to reduce bycatch - but is still deciding whether action is warranted in this fishery.

Singer Aaron Carter accidentally drowned in the bathtub of his Lancaster home when he became incapacitated from the use of a chemical inhalant and a depressant, according to a coroner's report released Tuesday.

Carter, 34, was pronounced dead at his home in the 42000 block of Valley Vista Drive on Nov. 5. According to an autopsy report released Tuesday, his death was ruled an accident, and he had difluoroethane and alprazolam in his system. The pop star also had antihistamine and "quetiapine metabolites" in his system, but they weren't contributors to his death, according to the report.

Difluoroethane is a gas used in air-spray cleaners, but it can "induce feelings of euphoria" when inhaled, according to the coroner's report. Alprazolam has depressant effects on the central nervous system, which can induce drowsiness and sedation.

"Based on the autopsy findings, investigative reports, and circumstances, as currently known, Mr. Carter became incapacitated while in the bathtub due to the effects of inhaling compressed gas and taking alprazolam," according to the report. "This resulted in him becoming submerged underwater, unable to breathe, and ultimately led to his death."

Carter — a singer, rapper and former teen heartthrob — was the younger brother of Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter. He opened for the famous boy band in the late 1990s as well as for Britney Spears during her "Oops! ... I Did It Again Tour."

Born in Tampa, Florida, Carter sold a million copies of his self- titled debut album in 1997 at age 9, which featured the hit single "Crush on You." His September 2000 follow-up "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)" sold three times that amount in the United States alone and was certified triple-Platinum. In addition to the title track, it also featured the hits "I Want Candy," and "That's How I Beat Shaq."

His third album, "Oh Aaron", went platinum in 2001, and Carter had released two since then, most recently "Love" in 2018.

A new album, titled "Blacklisted" had be set for release on Dec. 7, which would have been Carter's 35th birthday, but it was released early following his death.

In the years following his initial success, Carter guest starred on such shows as "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" and "7th Heaven" and had roles in the films "Fat Albert" in 2004 and "Supercross" in 2005.

Carter and his four siblings also starred in a short-lived reality show, "House of Carters" in 2006.

He made his Broadway debut in 2001 as JoJo the Who in "Seussical the Musical" and also appeared in the off-Broadway production of "The Fantasticks."

Carter also appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" and headlined a world tour in late 2014.

Recent years saw him in the news for myriad legal, drug and relationship troubles as well as his estrangement from brother Nick and other relatives.

During a 2019 TV interview, Carter discussed his battles with mental health issues, saying he suffered from multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety and manic depression.

In September, the Los Angeles Times reported Carter had enrolled in rehab for a fifth time and was hoping to regain custody of his 10-month-old son, Prince, who was under the court-ordered care of his fiancée's mother.

In recent months friends said Carter was actively working to turn his life around.

Carter tweeted on Oct. 29 that he was selling his Lancaster house, linking to a listing for $799,900 on Zillow. The two-story home has seven bedrooms and four bathrooms.