Derelict Fishing Gear Removal near Neah Bay

In the summer of 2005, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS), in partnership with the Northwest Straits Commission and the Makah Tribe, was awarded funds from NOAA's Office of Restoration and Response, Marine Debris Program for a pilot project to identify and remove derelict fishing gear in the Cape Flattery area. One goal was to build capacity for this specialized work directly in an affected community so that future derelict gear removal projects could be conducted using local diving expertise and vessels. The first phase of the project was conducted in October 2005 near Neah Bay, Washington.

Natural Resources Consultants, Inc. (NRC), a consulting firm that has conducted the lion's share of recent derelict fishing gear removal work throughout Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, was contracted to conduct the field work.

The first step was to identify potential targets for operations. Interviews with the Makah Fisheries Department staff and local divers and fishermen were followed by sonar surveys to locate derelict crab pots and other hard objects on the seafloor, then reconnaissance dives to verify targets. Facing deteriorating sea conditions as the winter approached, the team decided to focus on the area within Neah Bay where numerous targets were located and divers could operate safely. Divers removed a particularly harmful net near the entrance to Neah Bay, in which divers found entangled and dead harbor seals, birds, and large fish.

Adding to the excitement was a film crew from the Ocean Futures Society, led by Jean-Michel Cousteau, who were on scene to document the work for their television series entitled "Ocean Adventures." Twhe series "America's Underwater Treasures" focused on projects conducted in the National Marine Sanctuary Program, and described natural wonders and conservation efforts within our country's marine protected areas. "Ocean Adventures" was first broadcast on Public Broadcasting System channels in the spring of 2006, as well as on the Discovery Channel. Filming near Neah Bay included discussions between Jean-Michel Cousteau and Ben Johnson, the Makah Tribal Chairman, and Carol Bernthal, the sanctuary Superintendent.

More information on this program is available at the Ocean Futures Society web site at http://www.oceanfutures.org/.

Before bringing up this abandoned net, the Ocean Futures Society film crew dove with underwater cameras to capture the net's impacts on the marine life. Next, NRC divers went down to free the entangled net while the topside crew pulled the net up into the boat. The net was heavy and entwined with dense vegetation and numerous small crustaceans. Larger animals found in the net included two birds, two rockfish and three harbor seals - all dead. After viewing the devastating effects of this one net, Jim Woods, Makah Environmental Programs Director, commented that he had "a whole new outlook on the derelict gear issue."

The following day, several crab pots were removed from the marina and the bay, with Ocean Futures filming the process. Numerous dead and living crabs were found in these abandoned pots.

In During the summers of 2006 and 2007, the team conducted additional sonar and dive surveys and gear removal operations around Cape Flattery, and Makah Bay, and Point of Arches. In all, 3 gill nets, 1 purse seinetrawl net, and 2 commercial crab pots were removed from the water. The nets contained a total of 68 dead marine mammals (harbor seals, harbor porpoise, and sea lion), 8and 6 dead seabirds (cormorants and loons), 8 dead rockfish, and numerous dead crab. The crab pot that was not equipped with legal escape cord was actively fishing and contained three dead Dungeness crab.

Overall, early phases of the project was greatly have been a great successful in assessing the scope of the problem in the study area and removing all derelict gear located. Carol Bernthal, OCNMS Superintendent, summarized the feelings of many involved with the work. "This project is essential to the sanctuary's mission to promote conservation of marine resources while allowing compatible commercial and recreation activities to continue. Removing derelict fishing gear results not only in environmental benefits, but also in economic benefits for coastal communities. It provides the sanctuary and the Tribe with an opportunity to work towards a common goal of restoring fish habitats."

Overview

Collected Data

Frequently Asked Questions

Photo Gallery