Derelict Fishing Gear
Derelict fishing gear is nets, lines, crab/shrimp pots and other recreational or commercial fishing
equipment that has been lost, abandoned or discarded in the marine environment. Fishing
gear poses a threat to a wide variety of animals through "ghost fishing," where the gear can
attract, trap and kill marine mammals, seabirds, shellfish and fish. Because it can
persist in the environment for decades, this can wasteful killing can continue indefinitely.
Ghost fishing reduces fishery stocks otherwise available for commercial and recreational fishers.
An abandoned net or pot can create a hazard on which additional gear snags. Significant accumulations
of gear can reduce available spawning and rearing habitat necessary to support future generations.
Derelict fishing gear also can pose a threat to human safety, restrict other legitimate sanctuary
uses, such as regulated fishing, anchoring and operation of vessels, and diminish the aesthetic
qualities of activities such as scuba diving.
In Washington, the
Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative
has been on the forefront of efforts to identify locations, study impacts, and remove derelict
fishing gear.
Off the outer Washington Coast, the extreme weather conditions and complex seabed features increase
potential for fishing gear entanglement and loss. Although the area has been subjected to substantial
fishing effort over the years, very little effort has been devoted to surveying and removing
derelict gear or assessing its impacts on local marine resources.
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife has a program to mitigate derelict fighting gear
impacts and a
no-fault reporting system
for derelict gear. If you encounter derelict fishing gear, you can
submit a report online
or call 1-855-542-3935. Provide as detailed information as you can on the location and type of gear.
Sanctuary staff has observed derelict gear in the course of remotely-operated vehicle surveys of
the sanctuary. In addition, there is anecdotal information about widespread derelict gear, some of
which has been reported as an imminent threat to marine mammals. Yet, no systematic surveys
have been conducted until recently.
In 2005, OCNMS was awarded funds from NOAA's Office of Restoration and Response for a pilot project
to identify and remove derelict fishing gear in the northern part of the sanctuary, as well as to
develop safe operating protocols for gear removal operations while working in the open ocean
environment. The
pilot project was a partnership with the Makah Tribe and the
Northwest Straits Commission with a goal to build capacity in an affected community to conduct
future derelict gear removal projects using resident commercial diving expertise and local people
and vessels.
Download the full report (308k pdf)
Key Links:
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/derelict/
http://www.derelictgear.org/
Contact for page content: olympiccoast@noaa.gov
