derelict fishing gear

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to collaborate with multiple tribal partners in efforts to remove marine debris from our waterways and support communities that work to reduce the impacts of marine debris on our shores. Through our grant programs, regional action plans, and community-building efforts, the NOAA Marine Debris Program strives to bring together the many groups that work tirelessly to protect our shorelines and ocean. On Native American Heritage Day, in celebration of our tribal partners’ rich ancestral heritage and commitment to stewardship, we are highlighting some active and recently completed projects that partner with or are led by native communities. Learn more about each of the projects, the impacts of marine debris on native communities, and native leadership in coastal restoration. 

Dungeness Crab are an essential asset to the North Olympic Peninsula, ecologically, economically, and culturally. A side-effect of the beloved fishery is gear loss and bycatch, in Washington State an estimated 120,000 crab pots are deployed annually and there is an estimated gear loss of 10%. These lost crab pots are responsible for unnecessary crab mortality, habitat damage, and entanglement and mortality of marine mammals and other important species. Innerspace Exploration worked with a number of other partners to remove derelict crab pots from both Discovery and Sequim Bays in Washington.

We are pleased to announce with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, a request for proposals under the Nationwide Fishing Trap Removal, Assessment, and Prevention (TRAP) Program. With funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science will award up to $1,475,000 in grants to remove derelict fishing traps throughout coastal waterways of the United States while collecting data to prevent future gear loss.

November is National Native American Heritage Month

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to collaborate with multiple tribal partners in efforts to remove marine debris from our waterways and empower the communities that work to reduce the impacts of marine debris on our shores. Through our grant programs, regional action plans, and community-building efforts, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program strives to bring together the many groups that tirelessly work to reduce the impacts of marine debris. In celebration of our rich ancestral heritage, this month we are highlighting some active projects that work with or are led by native communities. Learn more about each of the projects and the impacts of marine debris on native communities! 

Derelict fishing gear is haunting our oceans and harming marine life! The term “ghost gear” refers to any abandoned or discarded fishing gear in the marine environment. In its afterlife ghost gear continues to fish. This ongoing threat includes derelict fishing nets, traps, and pots that continue to trap animals, entangle marine life, smother habitats, and act as a hazard to navigation. 

Since our very first event in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Ocean Aid 360 Ghost Trap Rodeo, which resembles an all-ages fishing tournament with prizes, has engaged 1,085 volunteers in 22 events, from the Florida Panhandle to Key West and the Bahamas. Over that time, these participating boaters, anglers, paddlers, and beachcombers have helped Ocean Aid 360 find and remove over 162,000 pounds of marine debris, including 2,591 derelict crab and lobster traps left abandoned during seasonal closures.

Florida is unique as the only state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. No matter where you are in the state, you’re never more than 60 miles from the nearest body of water. It also means that the daily choices and activities of Florida’s residents and visitors can easily lead to debris in our coastal and marine habitats. Luckily, our partners across the region are kicking off the New Year with renewed energy and effort in leading marine debris removal and prevention projects to keep Florida’s waters healthy and free of debris.

The shallow, protected habitats of Delaware’s Inland Bays make for one of the most popular areas in the state for residents and tourists to try their hands at catching blue crabs. In boats or on the shore, recreational crabbers use all kinds of gear, from hand lines, to trot lines, to small traps with collapsible sides, and the Chesapeake style crab pot. Unfortunately, thousands of derelict crab pots have been left behind or lost, and are littered beneath the surface of the Inland Bays. The University of Delaware and Delaware Sea Grant, with funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, worked to address the issue by teaming up with recreational crabbers to remove derelict pots.

Crabbing is a popular recreational activity and a valuable commercial industry in South Carolina. Traps become derelict when they are displaced or when their marking buoys are lost from events such as boat strikes, extreme weather, or equipment malfunction. The true number and distribution of derelict crab traps in coastal South Carolina remains unknown. A project led by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources aims to improve our understanding of the impact of derelict fishing gear in South Carolina by mapping intertidal and subtidal areas of four estuaries.