About the Program
Derelict Fishing Gear Assessment, Recovery, Training and Outreach
There are literally thousands of tons of derelict fishing gear in the marine waters of Puget Sound. Identification and safe removal of derelict fishing gear can reduce these impacts. The goal of this project is to continue recovery of derelict fishing gear within the Northwest Straits region and develop programs to safely and effectively locate and remove derelict fishing gear in regions outside the Northwest Straits. To acheive this goal, the Northwest Straits Commission has instilled the following components: Continued Derelict Fishing Gear removal operations in the Puget Sound; Derelict Fishing Gear Removal Diver Training Programs, Educational materials provided for public outreach. Each of the project components contain a public education/outreach element.
The Northwest Straits Commission provides a liaison position to coordinate new efforts to establish derelict fishing gear removal programs in other areas. The liaison serves to adapt the comprehensive gear removal and disposal protocols developed for the Northwest Straits Region for other marine environments. The Commission’s liaison coordinates with organizations and state agencies outside of Washington to build these regional derelict fishing gear removal programs.
The gear and impact data from the first two Navy diver training sessions was entered into the Derelict Gear Database. A curriculum and classroom materials were developed for a four-day Tribal diver training program. Three Lummi and three Nisqually Tribal divers were recruited for the first training program beginning in mid-October. Completed six days at sea, removing gillnets. One was 250' long and had been there several years. Ffour days of derelict pot removal work in Port Gardner resulted in the collection of 159 derelict crab pots, weighing 4,150lbs. 106 Dungeness (72 alive, 34 dead) and 124 total crabs of all species were found (overall live 81, dead 43).
This program is funded through NOAA's Ocean Service, Office of Response & Restoration, Marine Debris Program.
