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Resource
Protection Issues:
Lost Fishing Gear Project
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During October 2009, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary staff and partners conducted a thirteen-day research mission to survey the deepwater habitats of MBNMS and test new methods to remove lost fishing gear from the seafloor using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The primary goals of the project were: 1) to reduce benthic and pelagic hazards to marine organisms posed by fishing debris lost on the bottom, and 2) provide outreach through public images and video.
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| Lost trap resting on seafloor (photo: MBNMS 2009) |
Overview of the issue
Lost fishing gear has been documented by NOAA Fisheries during Delta Submarine dives in 2003, 2004 and 2007. This gear includes long lines, gill nets, crab and fish traps, and trawling gear, which can become lodged or entangled on the seafloor and some extending into the water column.
Lost fishing gear is a concern for the following reasons:
- Gear can create long-term entrapment mechanisms that continuously impact fish and crustaceans for many years. Net materials are constructed to be strong and resilient, thus preventing escape of entangled wildlife and persisting in the environment for decades.
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| Net in water column between rocks (photo: MBNMS 2009) |
- Nets and traps have also been documented to entangle bottom feeding whales and other marine mammals, becoming ensnared on flukes and fins.
- Lost fishing gear can cause hazards to fishing gear being actively used by fishermen. For example, lost traps may snag additional traps being set nearby. Catching new gear on lost gear is a nuisance and a hazard. Lost fishing gear also creates artificial habitat for encrusting organisms.
Objectives of Mission
- Increase knowledge of the degree to which lost fishing gear is impacting the deepwater habitats and living marine resources of the MBNMS.
- Develop successful methods and procedures for lost fishing gear removal in deep water (up to 100 meters).
- Provide images and video to be used for education and outreach purposes.
The cruise was conducted aboard the F/V Donna Kathleen and the operations focused on Portuguese Ledge State Marine Conservation Area at depths of up to 100 meters. Portuguese Ledge is a state marine protected area created in September 2007 to protect habitat for several deepwater rockfish species and help promote their recovery.
The Phantom HD2 ROV was fitted with a grabbing arm and a cutting device, as well as a 500-foot spool line and carabina. The two methods tested were:
- A snipping device attached to the manipulating arm snips line and the grabbing device grabs the net fragment and pulls it up as the ROV is retrieved.
- A carabiner (metal hook) is clipped onto the net or trap with the manipulating arm, and then as the ROV is retrieved, the spool line pays out to the surface. The spool line is then transferred to the boat’s hydraulic winch and the gear is hauled up to the surface.
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| Sanctuary Program ROV (Photo: Karen Grimmer/MBNMS 2009) |
Preliminary results from the mission included: removing 500lbs of fishing gear (two nets over 100ft long, a crab trap and a 40 ft gill net fragment); photo-cataloging and preserving specimens of net encrusting organisms, including the coral "Lophelia pertusa"; over 70 recreational fishing gear targets were marked while conducting one ROV transect in the state MPA site.
Collaborative Partners
This cruise is made possible by a number of key partners, and builds on the results of a similar operation conducted by Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary in August 2008. Overall, the project involves key staff and resources from Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, UC Davis SeaDoc Society, California Department of Fish and Game, and National Marine Fisheries Service, The Nature Conservancy, Underwater Resources Inc, and fishing partners. The project is funded through a federal settlement that focuses on mitigating impacts to benthic habitats. |
