Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative

Marine Resources Committees

Whatcom • Clallam • Jefferson • Skagit • San Juan • Island • Snohomish

Authorized by Congress in 1998 to: Protect and restore marine waters, and habitats …through a citizen-based approach.

(HR 3461) Some NWSI priority issues

• Ocean Acidification • monitoring • Derelict Fishing Gear • Olympia Oyster Restoration • Eelgrass Mapping and Protection • Shoreline Restoration and Protection • Community Education Derelict Fishing Gear in Puget Sound • One of the worst localized derelict fishing gear problems in the world • Lots of rocky habitats to snag nets • Huge salmon fishery historically • Robust fishery Derelict Fishing Gear Program Impacts of Lost Fishing Nets

False Bay, San Juan Island Orcas Island Removals Research

Outreach Education How we find derelict fishing gear How we remove gear

• Follow state approved removal guidelines • Submit plan and receive approval • All gear removed by hand • Habitat impact minimized • Database management

830 Acres 672Restored acres of habitat restored underwater as of March 31, 2014 obstructions 4%

mud/sand/gravel/ vegetation 15% boulders on sand/mud/gravel 43% low-relief rocky substrate 27%

high-relief rocky substrate 11% Species Number of Number of Total Group Dead Alive

Mammal 69 1 70

Bird 1,115 0 1,115

Fish 3,461 2,213 5,674

Invert. 166,693 295,265 461,958

Annual Total Count Daily Catch Examples of species found Group catch in recovered /5,681 nets entangled /5,681 nets nets

Marine Harbor porpoise, Harbor seal, 5.05 1,842 70 Mammals river otter

Cormorants, grebes, murre, Birds 80.37 29,336 1,115 pigeon guillemots Canary and other rockfish, 326.49 119,170 5,674 salmon, Dungeness crab, , Inverts 1188.54 4,339,318 461,958 geoduck, Puget Sound king crab Alcidae Alcidae sp. - 2 2 Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica - 1 1 Brandt's Cormorant Phalacrocorax penicillatus - 212 212 Bufflehead Bucephala albeola - 2 2 Common Loon Gavia immer - 13 13 Cormorant unid Phalacrocorax sp. - 167 167 Cormorant unids Phalacrocoracidae sp. - 33 33 Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus - 9 9 Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias - 1 1 Grebe unid Aechmophorus sp. - 20 20 Grebes Podicipedidae - 2 2 Gull unid Larus sp. - 2 2 Loon unid Gavia sp. - 27 27 Merganser Mergus sp. - 1 1 Murre unid Uria sp. - 35 35 Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica - 36 36 Pelagic Cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus - 247 247 Pigeon Guillemot Cepphus columba - 9 9 Puffin unid Fratercula sp. - 1 1 Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena - 37 37 Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata - 31 31 Scoter unid Melanitta sp. - 26 26 seabird unid. - 116 116 Shorebird Unid - 1 1 Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata - 31 31 Swans Cygnus - 1 1 Waterbird Unid Anatidae sp. - 14 14 White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca - 15 15 Bird Total - 1,092 1,092 Num Num Species Common Species Scientific Alive Dead Total

California sea lion Zalophus californianus - 2 2 deer Cervidae - 2 2

Harbor Porpoise Phocoena phocoena - 7 7

Harbor Seal Phoca vitulina 1 54 55 marine mammal unid. Cetecea - 1 1 river otter Lontra canadensis - 3 3

Mammal Total 1 69 70

Deepwater Pilot Project Goal: Succeed in removing derelict nets from a variety of habitats using a variety of tools • Tested first in shallow water • ROV Seaeye Cougar XT • Muddy and rocky habitats • Ten nets removed • Slow but safe • Cost about $30,000/day • Six times higher than shallow water dive removal Reporting, Response and Retrieval Program

• Reporting system in place • Non-tribal fishermen required to report within 24 hours by state law • Tribal fisheries agencies required to report under NOAA harvest rules • Currently funded to respond to all reports, coordinate with fishermen, agencies to retrieve nets • Removal vessels mobilized when needed • Funded through September, 2018 Observed impacts in RRR removed nets as of Dec. 31, 2016

Number of Number of Species Group Species Observed Dead Alive

Mammal 17 0 harbor porpoise, harbor seal

Brandt’s cormorant, pelagic cormorant, red-necked grebe, Bird 29 0 cormorant unid., seabird unid.

, PS rockfish, rockfish unid., chum salmon, coho salmon, salmon unid., cabezon, Irish lords, lingcod, Fish 438 45 , dogfish, English sole, kelp & painted greenling, ratfish

Dungeness crab, red rock crab, PS king crab, urchins, heart Invert. 884 2,457 crab, slender cancer crab

Rockfish encountered in 46 NEWLY LOST derelict nets removed. Puget Sound June 2012 through February 2016

Group Species Common Species Scientific Num Alive Num Dead Total Rockfish copper rockfish caurinus 1 2 3 Puget Sound rockfish Sebastes emphaeus 1 - 1 rockfish unid. Sebastes sp. - 5 5 Rockfish Total 2 7 9 Projected Impacts of 46 RRR removed nets if not removed Mortality Rates (# /unit time) RRR Nets Removed June 2012 through December 2016 Based on 5,785 nets removed during all Puget Sound Removals Group Daily Annually Marine Mammals 0.04 16 Birds 0.66 241 Fish 2.91 1,062 Invertebrates 99.19 36,205 Total 102.81 37,524

Projected Impacts of 46 RRR removed nets if not removed Mortality Rates (# animals/unit time) RRR Nets Removed June 2012 through December 2016 Based on 46 nets removed during RRR Project Group Daily Annually Marine Mammals 1.28 468 Birds 2.19 798 Fish 41.60 15,183 Invertebrates 104.84 38,265 Total 149.90 54,714

How to Report

NWSF Online www.derelictgear.org

NWSF Phone 360-733-1725

WDFW Phone 855-542-3935

Derelict Crab Pots in Puget Sound

• Estimated 12,000 lost annually • Pots can fish up to 2.2 years • 130,000 harvestable lost per year • Even properly used escape cord does not always prevent continued fishing • Loss of pots can be prevented in many cases

Local Common Group Name Scientific Name # Live # Dead Total Bird Loon unid Gavia sp. 0 1 1 Total Birds 0 1 1 Fish copper rockfish Sebastes caurinus 2 0 2 fish unid. 1 2 3 great Myoxocephalus polyacanthocephalus 3 0 3 Irish lord unid Hemilepidotus sp. 2 0 2 kelp greenling Hexagrammos decagrammus 1 0 1 quillback rockfish Sebastes maliger 2 0 2 red Irish lord Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus 2 0 2 rockfish unid Sebastes sp 6 2 8 sculpin unid sp. 4 0 4 starry flounder Platichthys stellatus 2 0 2 striped surf perch Embiotoca lateralis 1 0 1 Total Fish 26 4 30 Invertebrate Dungeness crab Cancer magister 3,855 1,051 4,906 lyre crab Hyas lyratus 36 12 48 northern kelp crab producta 15 0 15 red rock crab Cancer productus 622 109 731 slender cancer crab Cancer gracilis 4 0 4 slender kelp crab Pugettia gracilis 27 1 28 spot shrimp Pandalus platyceros 66 1 67 Total Invertebrates 4,625 1,174 5,799 Grand Total 4,651 1,179 5,830 Common User Errors

• Lightweight pots • Length of line • Buoys • Floating line • Checking tides and currents • Crabbing in high traffic areas

Crab Pot Escapement Study

Reduce D. crab mortality due to derelict crab pots

• Identify those most effective in allowing crab to escape

• Test simple retrofits that could increase ability for crab to escape

• Long-term: recommend the use of pot styles and retrofits that are most effective The clear leaders in crab escapement – Square Danielson with escape ring fall away – Octagonal Danielson w/ ramps and open wall escape panel

NOAA NOAA Tested modification that combines the two most effective escape mechanisms, escape ring fall away and open wall escape panel, on pots that were less successful with topside access doors. Modification 2: Escape ring fall away on pot walls Key Findings of Escapement Effectiveness Unobstructed escape panels on upper pot wall were extremely effective (100%)  All pots with Modification 2: ring-fall away

Top of Pot Excellent

Bottom of Pot NOAA NOAA

Sustainable Crabbing Gear Program How to Market?

http://www.haggen.com/department/seafood -market/ 2017 Priorities

 Goal: Eliminate harm from derelict fishing gear in Puget Sound

 Prevent re-accumulation of newly lost nets

 Reduce amount of crab pots lost each year

 Reduce impacts from pots which are lost Questions?

Photo: Florian Graner Caroline Gibson and Jason Morgan Northwest Straits Foundation

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