California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures

SeaDoc Society UC Davis Wildlife Health Center May 2009

California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project

Policies and Procedures

Prepared by:

SeaDoc Society UC Davis Wildlife Health Center

In consultation with:

California Coastal Conservancy Fugro Pelagos, Inc. (San Diego, CA) Northwest Straits Commission (Mt. Vernon, WA) Scripps Institution of Oceanography UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory California Department of Fish and Game

March 2006 Revised May 2009

www.lostfishinggear.org www.seadocsociety.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction...... 3

Policies and Procedures...... 6

I. Rules and regulations...... 6 A. Permitting B. Insurance and liability II. Lost fishing gear location...... 10 A. Citizen reporting B. Lost fishing gear surveys C. Notification of operations III. Lost fishing gear removal...... 11 A. Prioritizing gear for removal B. Safety and compliance C. Notification of operations D. Environmental precautions E. General conditions F. Emergency response G. Disposal IV. Data management and reporting...... 18 A. Master database B. Field report form C. Field removal operations reports V. Administration...... 20 A. Project staff and administration B. Technical Advisory Committee

Appendix A. Potential sources of lost fishing gear in California...... 22 Appendix B. Field operations notification process...... 34 Appendix C. Lost fishing gear removal prioritization...... 42

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 2 quality of underwater habitat via scouring action and by modification of surface contours. Lost gear is also a visual blight, diminishing the natural aesthetic quality of the seafloor and rocky reef habitat for underwater enthusiasts.

Hawaii and Washington have INTRODUCTION comprehensive, coordinated efforts in place to actively remove discarded and abandoned fishing gear from the marine Lost Fishing Gear environment. The universal aim of these programs is to remove fishing gear that Lost fishing gear is defined as discarded or presents a hazard to people and to wildlife abandoned fishing nets, lines, pots, and and/or that damages underwater habitat, other commercial and recreational fishing and to do so in a safe and environmentally gear that sits on the seafloor, gets caught sensitive manner. In Hawaii, derelict on rocky reefs or underwater structures, fishing gear was determined to be the or floats in the water column. While primary anthropogenic threat to coral deliberate disposal of fishing gear in reefs, and was entangling a significant marine waters in California is unlawful, number of endangered Hawaiian monk unfortunately in the normal course of seals on an annual basis. In Washington both commercial and recreational fishing state, where removal of derelict fishing operations, it is not uncommon for gear gear is legislatively mandated, significant to become accidentally lost, either through losses of marine resources and protected the failure of lines, ropes and wires that species, including salmon and marine normally attach fishing gear to rods, buoys mammals, have been documented in or vessels, or the unintentional cutting of derelict nets. these lines by boat propellers or by underwater construction equipment. The All types of fishing gear have the potential majority of this gear does not decompose to become lost or abandoned. Gill nets in seawater and can remain in the marine are curtain-like nets that are suspended in environment for years. the water with mesh openings large enough to permit only the heads of the Lost gear impacts our marine targeted species to pass through. Purse environment in several ways: it can seines are nets that are cast in a circle continue to "catch" marine animals, around a school of fish, and then drawn including commercially valuable species, closed at the bottom to prevent escape; which become enmeshed or trapped; it the bowl or bag-like net is then hauled out can damage the habitat upon which it of the water. Trawl nets are nets or mesh becomes entangled or upon which it rests; bags that are dragged at various depths or it can pose an underwater hazard for along the ocean bottom. Long lines are boaters, fouling boat propellers and comprised of a long main line to which anchors; and it can similarly endanger are attached a large number of hooks. humans, especially divers. Lost fishing Various types of pots, traps and baited gear can not only contain the carcasses of hoop nets are used in both the marine animals, but can also affect the commercial and recreational fisheries to catch prawns, lobster, crabs, sablefish and

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 3 near shore finfish. Lost or abandoned gear fisheries mean that some types of gear will from recreational rod and reel and be less commonly encountered. For pot/trap fisheries can consist of lines, example, the commercial use of bottom weights, hooks, flashers, downrigger wire, trawl nets has been prohibited within jugs, and pots. three miles of shore in California since 2004, with the exception of the halibut trawl grounds between one and three Lost Fishing Gear in California miles offshore between Pt. Arguello and Pt. Mugu. Since 2004, midwater trawls The amount of lost fishing gear in are only allowed outside the one-mile limit California marine waters has not been between Point Sur and Yankee Point (near quantified. However, marine biologists Carmel). The use of gill nets has not been and resource managers conducting allowed in state waters (out to 3 nautical underwater research on fish and marine miles from shore) since 1991, except for habitat encounter lost gear at various within one mile of the Channel Islands or depths caught on rocks or lying on the in water deeper than 70 fathoms seafloor. Marine engineers conducting (whichever is closer to shore). There are surveys or underwater projects report that no gill nets allowed in central California their equipment gets caught on lost between Pt. Reyes and Pt. Arguello in fishing gear, and that such gear is seen water shallower than 60 fathoms; gill nets snagged on underwater structures1. may be used in waters deeper than 35 Nearly 10% of all brown pelicans and fathoms between Pt. Fermin (Palos gulls admitted to wildlife rehabilitation Verdes peninsula) and the Newport jetty. centers in California are admitted with fishing gear entanglement or ingestion injuries23. Project Background

Reasonably assuming that lost fishing gear In July 2005, the State Coastal currently encountered in California is Conservancy awarded the SeaDoc Society most likely a result of major commercial (UC Davis Wildlife Health Center) a grant and recreational fisheries that have taken to support a pilot phase of the California place since 1940, numerous commercial Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project. The and recreational fisheries may have, or National Fish and Wildlife Foundation may still be, potential sources of derelict also provided a grant in support of the gear in California (see Appendix A: pilot phase. The pilot project grew out of Potential sources of derelict fishing gear in the SeaDoc Society's initial planning effort California.). Recent restrictions on certain conducted in 2003 and 2004 for a statewide lost fishing gear removal program with support from the Laurel 1 Ed Saade, Fugro Pelagos, Inc, San Diego, CA; Foundation. Allison Dettmer, California Coastal Commission, personal communications. 2 Field operations in the pilot year were Dau, B.K., K.V.K. Gilardi, F.M.D. Gulland, A. limited to five select coastal areas: Higgins, J.B. Holcomb, J. St.Leger, and M.H. Ziccardi. Fishing gear-related injury in California Humboldt County; Monterey Bay from marine wildlife. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. In Moss Landing to Point Lobos, San Luis press. Obispo County from Point Estero to Point 3 Buchon, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and Santa Catalina Island. Key

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 4 accomplishments in the pilot phase included is developing collaborations with acquisition of all necessary permits, commercial crab fishermen who are production of a California Derelict Fishing themselves taking the lead on recovering Gear Removal Project Policies and thousands of abandoned crab pots off the Procedures manual, hiring of project staff North coast. and contractors, production of outreach materials, establishing a website and a toll- In summary, the California Lost Fishing free reporting line, and conducting 47 days Gear Recovery Project is an initiative of of surveys for derelict fishing gear and 35 the SeaDoc Society, a marine ecosystem days of derelict fishing gear removal. health program of the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center. The goals of the Lost During this "start-up" period, the project Fishing Gear Recovery Project are to contracted with commercial fishermen remove lost and abandoned gear, to help (urchin harvesters) to retrieve over 11 tons (22,580 lbs) of derelict gear from around restore California's coastal marine Santa Catalina, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, ecosystem, to improve public safety, and Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands alone, the to assist species recovery. The focus is not majority of which was commercial lobster on assessing fault or blame for the trap gear and purse seine nets. A large occurrence of derelict fishing gear on number of intact lobster traps were commercial and recreational fishermen. repatriated to fishermen. The success of the project depends upon collaboration and cooperation among In addition to work to remove lost state and federal resource agencies, commercial fishing gear, in 2007-2008 the fishermen, sport divers, marine-oriented project also conducted clean-ups of 15 industries and businesses, scientific fishing piers from Monterey to Imperial researchers, and California citizens who Beach, working with volunteer scientific and have a vested interest in a healthy marine rescue divers and community members. ecosystem in California. More than 1000 lbs of recreational fishing gear were recovered, including over 1 million feet of monofilament line. Fishing line recycling bins were installed on several piers to encourage appropriate disposal of line by anglers: all of these bins were utilized the day they were installed, and have prevented the introduction of thousands of feet of fishing line and hooks into the water. Also in 2007-2008 the project collaborated with Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS) to investigate methods for removing lost fishing gear from deep water that exceeds standard SCUBA depths (>100').

Currently, with funding from the State Wildlife Conservation Board and the NOAA Marine Debris Program, in 2009-2010 the SeaDoc Society is focusing gear recovery efforts in the newly established Central Coast Marine Protected Areas network and in the Channel Islands. As well, the project

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 5 Mitigated Negative Declarations filed with the State of California.

. California Department of Fish and Game: California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG) Code pertains to commercial and recreational fishing, and therefore does not have legal applicability to derelict fishing gear 4 POLICIES & PROCEDURES: removal (a non-fishing activity) . Of note for the purposes of this program, however, are DFG Code Article 3,

Section 9004: (“ Trap Raising I. RULES & REGULATIONS Intervals; Abandonment Prohibited”)

which legally defines abandoned trap

gear (“Every trap shall be raised, A. Permitting cleaned, serviced and emptied at

intervals, not to exceed 96 hours, Several agencies have jurisdictional weather conditions at sea permitting, authority over work in marine waters and no trap shall be abandoned in the and/or public trust marine resources in waters of this state”) and DFG Code California, and these agencies issue Article 3, Section 9002 ( “Disturb, etc. authorization permits for certain types of Traps of Another”) which makes it activities occurring in California marine unlawful to “…willfully or recklessly waters. As well, state laws and regulations disturb, move, or damage any trap that dictate requirements for permitting that belongs to another person and that is marked are applicable to lost fishing gear removal with a buoy identification number …” in California. These agencies and Again, while this section of the code regulations, and what is required by them applies to gear that has been willfully or under them for lost fishing gear deployed by a commercial or location and removal, are the following: recreational fishermen, it does suggest

that best efforts should be made by . California Environmental Quality Act: this program to return lost gear that is Prior to approving funding for a still identifiable to owner, as it does project that may impact the require that a good faith effort be environment, a state entity wishing to made to notify trap owners that their sponsor the project must first conduct lost gear has been recovered from the an environmental impact assessment water. under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Because some However, a CDFG Scientific aspects of the California Lost Fishing Collection Permit is required for the Gear Recovery Project could incidental take and/or handling of potentially negatively impact the marine organisms (vertebrates, marine environment without invertebrates, plants, algae). Because mitigation, Environmental Impact marine organisms that are encrusted Studies have been conducted twice (in on, or trapped in, lost fishing gear 2005 and 2008), and approved

4 Joe Milton, DFG Legal, personal communication

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 6 during the gear removal process, and in displacement of seafloor sediments because marine organisms may be (e.g. hand-digging around partially collected and preserved for species buried traps); therefore, an identification purposes at a later date, authorization permit is required. a Scientific Collection Permit is required. . National Marine Fisheries Service - Office of Protected Resources: A . National Marine Sanctuaries: Because marine mammal permit is not required lost fishing gear removal has the for removing lost fishing gear from potential to temporarily modify the state marine waters: project activities seafloor, its conduct within National do not involve purposeful interaction Marine Sanctuary boundaries violates or handling of marine mammals on Title 15.Section 922.132 (a)(4) of the land or in the water. That said, United States Code of Federal appropriate actions are to be taken to Regulations, which prohibits minimize disturbance of marine modification of the seafloor within the mammals, so as not to trigger illegal Sanctuary, unless authorization to "take" of marine mammals under the conduct the work is obtained from the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The sanctuary. Any lost fishing gear National Marine Fisheries Service removal activity that is planned for a Office of Protected Resources' National Marine Sanctuary must first guidelines for marine mammal viewing be permitted by the Sanctuary. (www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/education/vi ewing.htm) are followed to voluntarily . National Park Service: The National set limits on proximity of field Park Service requires anyone wishing personnel and field operations to to conduct work (e.g. research, marine mammals visible at the sea education and training) inside a park surface or on rookeries. If, during the boundary to acquire a Special Use process of removing lost fishing gear Permit. The Channel Islands National from the marine environment, the Park (CINP) boundary extends to 1 gear removal team determines that a nm offshore of San Miguel, Santa live marine mammal has a life- Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa threatening injury, marine wildlife Barbara Islands and includes the rehabilitators permitted for marine seafloor and water column out to this mammal handling and care by the boundary. Any lost fishing gear National Marine Fisheries Service and removal activity that is planned for the California Department of Fish and inside the CINP boundary must first Game shall be notified for transport be permitted by the Park. of the animal to their facility for care.

. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: . U.S. and California Endangered Potential temporary and highly local Species Acts: Again, while lost fishing modification of the seafloor requires gear removal activities do not involve an authorization permit from the U.S. purposeful manipulation of living Army Corps of Engineers pursuant to threatened or endangered species, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors there is the potential for gear removal Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. Section 403). to occur in the vicinity of threatened Lost fishing gear removal may result or endangered marine species, or for

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 7 threatened or endangered species to project. However, if in the future, any be entangled or trapped in derelict live marine vertebrates are held gear. Prior to engaging in lost fishing temporarily, or are permanently gear removal activities, the local state collected, for research purposes, an and/or federal agencies with approved ACU Protocol will be jurisdiction in the areas where gear required. removal work is to be conducted are contacted for information on the . UC Davis Diving Control Board presence of any species of concern in A Request for Scientific Diving the vicinity of the proposed lost gear Project Approval was approved by the removal, and removal operations are UC Davis Diving Control Board in directed away from these areas and/or November 2005, and reapproved in rescheduled so as not to take place at October 2008. Field efforts involving a time of year when these habitats are volunteer divers require notification of critical for certain species. As the UC Davis Dive Officer, as well as precautionary measures, there is no a Letter of Reciprocity from the purposeful vessel approach, use of institution’s Diving Officer, which sonar, or diver entry within 100 yards confirms the volunteer institution's of a breeding colony of threatened or assumption of liability for its endangered marine birds, or within 50 volunteer divers, as well as their yards of a threatened or endangered certification status. Volunteers will be marine bird visible at the sea surface. required to fill out and sign UC Davis There is no gear removal in water less Releases of Liability prior to work in than 1 m deep in estuarine habitat the field. Volunteer divers need to be within range of the federally listed scientific diver-certified, and/or be tidewater goby. No gear removal scientific divers-in-training working occurs in marine water within 500 under the auspices of a certified diving yards of the entrance to salmon instructor while in the field. spawning rivers during spawning season. There is no purposeful vessel . California State Water Quality Control approach, use of sonar, or diver entry Board: California Water Code Section within 50 yards of a sea turtle visible 13260 states that persons discharging at the sea surface, and no removal of or proposing to discharge waste that derelict gear within 10 yards of a white could affect the quality of the waters abalone. of the State (including marine), other than into a community sewer system, . Animal Care and Use: Institutional must contact his/her Regional Water rules and policies regarding animal Quality Control Board (RWQCB) to care and use vary. At UC Davis, find out whether or not a Waste because the Animal Welfare Act does Discharge Requirements (WDR) not apply to marine invertebrates, and and/or National Pollutant Discharge because any handling of live marine Elimination System (NPDES) permit vertebrates during this project will be is required. In consultation with the for purposes of rescue only, the UC North Coast, Central Coast and Los Davis campus veterinarian determined Angeles Regional Water Quality that a UC Davis Animal Care and Use Control Boards in February 2006, the Protocol is not required for this determination is that this project

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 8 would have negligible effect on marine acquired on the job, liability, and water quality and therefore does not workmen's compensation through usual require a WDR or NPDES permit. If and customary coverage of UC lost gear removal work is planned for employees. All employees must promptly a State Water Resources Control report any injuries acquired while on the Board Area of Special Biological job. Significance, both the SWRCB's Ocean Plan Coordinator and the Volunteers working under the auspices of RWQCB must be contacted first to project staff must sign a UC Davis Release request an exception to Ocean Plan of Liability form prior to work in the field, prohibitions against waste discharges whether on a vessel or on shore. into ASBS. Volunteers under the auspices of the WHC's Lost Fishing Gear Recovery UC Davis procures and holds all necessary Project do not, under no uncertain authorization permits for lost fishing gear circumstances, engage in lost fishing gear removal, including: National Marine removal, with the exception of AAUS- Sanctuary Authorization Permits (where certified scientific divers who may engage applicable); U.S. Army Corps of in removal of a derelict net fragment Engineers Authorization Permit; under the in-water supervision of project California Department of Fish and Game staff. Scientific Collection Permit; and all other state and federal permits required for Dive contractors are required to warrant specific work of derelict fishing gear that he/she/it maintains, according to removal from California state marine statutory requirements, Commercial-Form waters. General Liability Insurance (contractual liability included) with minimum limits as UC Davis is responsible for notifying follows: agencies with jurisdictional authority over the marine area in which field operations . Protection and Indemnity: $5,000,000 are scheduled, and over the marine . Jones Act: $5,000,000 resources potentially impacted by gear . U.S. Longshoremen and removal operations, at least 14 calendar Harborworkers: $5,000,000 days prior to scheduled gear removal work (see Part II.c and Part III. C, and Jones Act coverage applies only to vessel Appendix B). owner/operators who employ crew; if the contractor does not employ his/her crew, Contractors are not required to apply and he/she must submit a letter certifying hold any permits except for those usually his/her exemption from fulfilling this and customarily required of commercial contractual requirement. Additionally, vessel operators and commercial marine dive contractors must comply with harvesters. Federal OSHA Standards for Commercial Divers, unless legally exempt from compliance. B. Insurance and liability The dive contractor or survey contractor UC Davis employees working on the can allow additional persons on board California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery his/her vessel during field operations for Project are insured against injuries

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 9 the purpose of advancing the mission and responsible for its environmental impacts, goals of the lost fishing gear removal nor the cost of the removal effort. project (e.g. other project staff, funders, media), as long as the total number of Calls to the toll-free lost gear “hotline” people on board does not exceed telephone number (1-888-491-GEAR), maximum capacity of the vessel, does not based at the SeaDoc Society office (at the impose undue safety issues in the opinion UC Davis Wildlife Health Center), will be of the Contractor, and as long as answered by a live attendant during permission for hosting additional persons business hours, and will play a recorded has been requested of the Contractor by message during non-business hours that project staff. requests both a description of the gear and as specific a location for the gear as possible.

A lost gear reporting form located on the project website (www.lostfishinggear.org) can be downloaded, filled out and either submitted electronically, or sent by facsimile or regular mail. II. LOST FISHING GEAR LOCATION B. Lost fishing gear surveys

The presence of lost gear in the marine Purposeful surveys for lost fishing gear environment is located as follows: are conducted using SCUBA divers, sidescan sonar, or remotely-operated vehicle equipped with underwater A. Citizen reporting cameras. Purposeful surveys are conducted in areas where there is a need Opportunistic sightings of lost gear by to locate and quantify the presence of lost commercial or recreational/sport fishing gear for the first time, as well as in fishermen, divers, boaters, port areas where there is a need to verify authorities, resource managers, previous sightings and reportings of the commercial surveyors, marine researchers, presence of lost fishing gear. enforcement officers, surfers, and others who lose or encounter lost gear in the marine environment, can be reported 1. Sidescan sonar surveys either by calling a toll-free reporting "hot" line, or by completing and submitting a Underwater sidescan sonar surveyors reporting form that is available for can be contracted to image downloading from the website. While the predetermined areas of the seafloor, name and contact information for the outside of kelp forests. Sidescan sonar reporter will be requested, it will not be equipment is deployed at a resolution required, allowing for anonymous adequate to depict structures that are reporting from fisherman of lost gear; less than 1 m. in diameter. The commercial or recreational fishermen who approximate area that is covered by report loss of their gear will not be held these methods is 2/3 km2 of seafloor per day, depending on the depth of the

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 10 survey area. The surveyor provides the To prioritize lost gear for removal, project project manager with a digital file of the staff, advisors and agency personnel apply raw data, survey coverage maps, and criteria to known lost fishing gear targets spreadsheets of target locations. to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of removing a particular lost fishing gear target. This set of criteria takes into C. Notification of operations account biological, economic and human safety factors and costs as well as potential The project manager will be responsible environmental and economic and safety for all notifications and communications benefits of removal. With this system, it prior to a planned location effort. The is possible to determine whether or not project manager will also be responsible the cost of removal, the degree of the for obtaining permission from private threat the gear presents in the marine landowners to gain access to and work environment, and/or the impact of gear from beaches, shorelines, or docks. removal process on the marine environment outweighs benefits. At least 7 days prior to a planned lost Applying priority criteria may lead project fishing gear location operation, the project managers to the decision not to remove coordinator will submit (via facsimile) a gear in some cases. Notification of Lost Fishing Gear Location Operation to regional, state and The evaluation according to priority federal agencies with management or criteria is somewhat subjective depending enforcement authority in the area of gear upon the perception of the person doing location (See Appendix B: Field the evaluation. Likewise, weighting the operations notification process). Agencies different criteria is dependent upon a will be asked to contact the project somewhat subjective evaluation of the coordinator with any concerns regarding relative importance of the different plans for gear location, and the project criteria, however, some criteria have coordinator will respond in a timely obvious greater importance than others manner to those concerns, modifying or that should provide a reasonable overall altering the gear removal operation plan removal priority. appropriately. Lost gear removal criteria are described in Appendix C: Lost fishing gear removal prioritization.

III. LOST FISHING GEAR B. Safety and compliance REMOVAL Generally speaking, commercial divers will engage in lost commercial gear removal A. Prioritizing gear for removal operations: this definitely applies to all net gear, and most pot/trap gear. The Prioritizing lost fishing gear is critical, so University of California, Davis Wildlife that gear removal provides best achievable Health Center will contract for these results with available funds and resources, services. No individual will undertake any while minimizing threats to human safety lost gear removal activity that exceeds or damage to the marine environment. his/her experience and abilities. All diving

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 11 operations will be compliant with diving All vessel operation will comply with U.S. safety requirements of the appropriate Coast Guard regulations. state and federal occupational safety and health agencies. All divers contracted to Lost pot/trap removal operations will not perform gear removal shall hold diving be conducted in areas where in-season certification. Gear removal operations at commercial pot/trap fisheries are depths less than 100 ft of water shall be underway to prevent conflicts with within the no-decompression limits of the commercial fisherman who are legally and US Navy Standard Air Tables. Dives to appropriately deploying pot/trap gear. depths greater than 100 ft and/or dive times exceeding the no-decompression limits will require the presence of on- C. Notification of operations board recompression chambers or chambers accessible within 5 mins, and The project manager is responsible for all larger dive teams trained in deep water notifications and communications prior to environments. Removal of gear at depths a planned removal effort. The project greater than 100 ft will be conducted only manager is also responsible for obtaining when it has been identified as a high permission from private landowners to priority for removal based on known or gain access to and work from beaches, potential wildlife impacts or human shorelines, or docks. At least 14 days prior hazard, and may be achieved utilizing to a planned lost fishing gear removal remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) or operation, the project coordinator will submersible technologies. submit a Notification of Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Operation with regional, At least one member of the gear removal state and federal agencies with team shall be CPR-certified (American management or enforcement authority in Red Cross or an equivalent). An the area of gear removal (see Appendix appropriate diving first aid kit will be B). The Notification of Field Operations available on all vessels participating in the will include as much specific information gear removal operation. Additionally, an as is available on the field site, the gear emergency oxygen kit will be available on being targeted for removal, the types of site capable of providing therapeutic flow underwater habitat that will be worked in, rates over the time needed to get an and any due diligence regarding the injured diver to the nearest emergency potential to affect sensitive species or facility. habitats during the removal effort. Agencies will be asked to contact the An emergency aid list must be complete project coordinator with any concerns and made available to all dive team regarding plans for gear removal, and the members. This list must contain the project coordinator will respond in a contact information, including the timely manner to those concerns, telephone numbers of: the nearest modifying or altering the gear removal operational decompression chamber, most operation plan appropriately. accessible hospital, physician, and the best form of transportation available in case of an emergency, and the nearest Coast D. Environmental precautions Guard Rescue Coordination Center. Lost gear should be removed in such a way as to minimally disturb or disrupt the

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 12 marine environment. If the process of local agency with jurisdiction over the removing the gear is going to damage specific area/location. habitat more than the presence of the gear is damaging the marine environment, the The decision as to whether the process of lost gear should not be removed, and/or removal of gear will be more damaging it should be modified in place, e.g. net than it is worth will be made at the gear that is “flagging” in the water column discretion of the gear removal team, and can be cut at its base in the sediment or will also be considered by any state or on the reef or bundled in place; net gear local agency personnel with knowledge of embedded in sediment that cannot be the particular location and habitat in easily removed by hand can be cut and which the lost gear removal team is trimmed where exposed to reduce its working, e.g. a good faith effort will be potential for entangling organisms; a trap made by the lost gear removal team to can be secured in an open position to consult with knowledgeable members of prevent confining of trapped organisms. the local, state, and federal agencies as to Gear that is completely or partially the potential for damaging habitat in the embedded in the seafloor or encrusted on process of removing gear. It is important a reef should not be removed by to bear in mind that lost fishing gear that mechanical means (e.g. a winch on a has been in the marine environment may surface vessel), because removal would be now serve as habitat to organisms that damaging to the substrate and/or will have taken up residence around or on the suspend sediment, and because gear. If the gear cannot be removed in mechanical removal has the potential to such a way as to minimize disturbance to damage the gear (e.g. rip off sections of these plants and animals, it should be left the gear only) in such a way as to make it in place. difficult to impossible to remove what gear remains in the water. As well, Any damage to the seabed and biota sometimes nets or pots/traps have incurred by lost fishing gear removal shall become so encrusted by marine life that be recorded and reported, and the amount they might be best left alone depending and nature of any gear left behind shall be on the potential hazard it poses to marine described and reported, including GPS life or humans, and/or the degree to coordinates. which it is negatively modifying habitat. Such gear has become such an integral Marine protected areas (MPAs; e.g. part of the substrate that to remove it reserves, underwater parks) have special might damage habitat and potentially provisions for activities that can and reactivate sections that were benign. cannot occur within the protected area. Lost fishing gear removal from MPAs Removal efforts that could disturb should occur in close coordination and sediment should not occur in areas of consultation with, and with the full known contamination so as to avoid the knowledge and approval of, the agency or suspension of contaminants in the water organization with jurisdictional authority column. However, if removal of the gear over the MPA. has been identified as a high priority because of known damage or hazard As much of the organic material that is posed by the gear, then removal should attached to the lost gear should be occur in close consultation and removed and returned to the general coordination with the appropriate state or vicinity of the removal site, to minimize

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 13 environmental impact as well as minimize from the moored vessel. Live boating the weight of the gear once it is out of the should be avoided during the removal water and to facilitate disposal. operation when using surface-supplied air diving. The diving supervisor is in charge of all vessel operations, including E. General conditions operations of ancillary vessels.

Dive teams removing lost net gear will be Diving mode will vary, depending upon comprised of one (1) diver working on the the type of gear to be removed. SCUBA net, one (1) support diver standing off the and surface-supplied diving modes, net to assist the working diver if including hookah, are appropriate. entanglement occurs, and one (1) diving Typical gear requirements for either of supervisor. Alternatively, if only (1) diver these modes will apply. If SCUBA is is working underwater on extracting the used, then the stand-by diver should have gear, then a safety diver must be suited up surface-supplied air available to him/her at the surface and ready to render in the case of an entanglement event. All immediate assistance if needed, and all divers will have a redundant air supply, members of the dive team will use regardless of mode, carried on their hardwire or wireless communications person. It shall allow a sufficient air systems, and a surface communication supply to sustain life until arrival of the box will allow the diving supervisor to surface supplied air is provided by the communicate with the single diver. The stand-by diver, who will have a long hose diving supervisor will also have direct "safe second" stage (aka "octopus") that communications to the skipper of all will be capable of providing continuous vessels involved in the removal operation. air to the entangled diver during extraction. Dive teams removing lost pot or trap gear will be comprised of one (1) diver working the pot or trap, one (1) stand-by 1. From the intertidal: diver, ready to enter the water and provide immediate assistance and who (if Lost fishing gear in the intertidal needed) will assist the diver underwater zone is often encrusted on rocks or with his/her surface-supplied air hose, on woody debris, or may be partially and one (1) diving supervisor. The diving buried in the sandy or muddy supervisor, air line tender, and boat bottom. Lost gear found in the operator can be the same individual. The intertidal zone can usually be diving supervisor may not need to be fully removed by hand with shovels suited. and/or cutting instruments at low tide, either by foot from the beach or When removing a net, the vessel (diving shoreline, or from a shallow draft platform) shall be secured by a minimum vessel. If removal efforts require of a one-point mooring system, and shall modification of the beach (i.e. digging allow easy access to the work site. In into the sand), the modification (e.g. some situations, a small net retrieval vessel the hole) should be filled after the may operate independently of the diving gear has been removed. If removal platform, and can also serve as a chase efforts require the manipulation of boat that is quickly and readily deployable woody debris, best efforts should be to retrieve any divers that surface away made to replace the woody debris to

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 14 its original position after gear and traps. Divers shall have at least removal. In some cases, use of a three (2) sharp and well-maintained personal watercraft may be useful for cutting instruments appropriate to removing lost fishing gear from the type of mesh that is being shallow water areas, including the removed, with one cutting instrument intertidal zone, provided its use is able to cut wire, lead line or heavier permitted by the appropriate cordage. Seatbelt cutters or EMT jurisdictional agency(ies). Precautions shears may also be used. Gear can be will be taken to not disturb the secured and removed by bundling the surrounding seafloor. For the most separated gear in sections and part, heavy equipment (vehicles) attaching the removed gear to air should not be used to remove gear bags to lift it to the surface. A net from the intertidal zone because of that is “flagging” in the water column potential damage to the beach or can be freed from its entanglement or shoreline. Individuals removing gear encrustation by step-wise cutting at from the intertidal zone should be its base of attachment, and bundling able to swim, and should use the net as it is detached. Multiple common sense safety precautions, airbags can be attached to sections of e.g. appropriate clothing for the the gear to apply upward tension on weather and for protection from the gear to facilitate its separation cutting instruments, and a high level from the seabed or reef. The of awareness of the tidal cycle, waves, recovery vessel (may be separate etc. from the dive platform) shall retrieve the bundles as they arrive at the 2. From shallow water (< 100 ft): surface. In some circumstances, it For net removals, the underwater may be advantageous to raise gear team should first conduct a pre- from the seabed by attaching a removal inspection dive to ascertain section of already freed/raised gear to for themselves the type and size of an on-board winch on the vessel, but the net, the degree of entanglement the winching should occur once or encrusting, the depth, current and divers are out of the water. any other details that may impact gear removal operations. Such pre- Throughout the net removal removal inspection dives will likely operation, the divers shall not be necessary for pot or trap communicate with the dive removal operations. Divers should supervisor, either in person or via work upcurrent from the net, so that underwater communications, advising when it is separated from the the supervisor of steps accomplished, substrate it will tend to float away and notifying the dive supervisor from the divers rather than towards when bundled sections of net are or onto them. ready to float to the surface.

Generally, divers should hand- Gear that is hopelessly entangled or remove net and line gear from the extremely encrusted can be seabed by physically cutting/ “neutralized” in place by removing detaching encrusted or severely those parts of the gear that are the tangled lines or nets, and/or by most potentially hazardous (e.g. loosening and/or de-embedding pots sections of net that are flagging), or

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 15 permanently open (pots or traps) targeted depths. In addition, an positions with cable ties to make sure operational two-way voice these parts of the gear do not become communication system is required for active at some point in the future. communications between each surface-supplied air diver or mixed- Removal of pots and traps shall be gas diver and a member of the dive conducted by loosening the gear team at the dive location. Line-pull from the seabed via hand-digging or signals do not meet this requirement, small digging tools, and then except for the SCUBA-diving mode. attaching a lift bag which raises the Also, a two-way communication gear to the surface of the so the boat system (such as a cell phone, marine may approach the gear and remove it radio, or computer) must be available from the water. for obtaining emergency aid. While pressurized air can be used down to 3. From deep water (>100 ft): about 170’, bottom-time is limited: Gear removal from deep water deeper and/or longer dives will should be conducted if the gear is a require the use of mixed gas in order high priority for removal because of to minimize the effects of nitrogen documented or great potential risks narcosis. The costs of conducting a to humans, underwater vehicles, or deepwater dive operation are wildlife. Deep water gear recovery significantly higher due to longer can be conducted either by deep recompression requirements, as are water divers or using a remotely the safety risks to the divers. operated vehicle (ROV), and each method poses benefits and Remotely operated vehicle (ROV): limitations. Deploying an ROV is a good alternative for removing gear from Deep water diving: Divers are more very deep (i.e. 150 - 600 ft) water, capable of thoroughly removing gear especially if the gear is floating or that is securely attached to the flagging in the water column. A benthic substrate than is an ROV, robotic arm with shears can be and divers can easily attach lift bags manipulated by the ROV operator, which make the gear highly visible to who uses live video feeds to visualize the surface crew once it has risen to the operation in real-time. Once the the surface. Divers can work gear is cut from whatever it is effectively in high current areas and attached to, it can free-float to the can maneuver in areas of high surface for recovery by the surface rugosity and low visibility. However, vessel. Utilizing an ROV for gear according to OSHA requirements, recovery presents the obvious deepwater dives and dive times advantage of eliminating safety risks exceeding the no-decompression to divers. However, an ROV can only limits require the presence of an on- be deployed in low current, low board recompression chamber, or the rugosity conditions, and optimally ability to reach a chamber within 5 when visibility is high. The lost gear, minutes if an emergency were to once detached, can easily entangle the occur, and a large team of divers that ROV and render the vehicle are trained and certified to work at immobile. As well, at present, an

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 16 ROV cannot attach and deploy a lift Does the removal effort need to be bag to raise the debris to the surface, mounted as soon as possible? How and so due to the increased time it quickly a dive or ROV team could be takes for the gear to float to the deployed will depend on availability, surface and the potential difficulty in both in terms of location and time. visualizing it once it's at the surface, Generally speaking, there are more there is a potential that the recovered divers capable of deepwater work gear can be lost before brought on than there are ROVs and the vessels board the vessel. and operators to deploy them.

When planning to recover lost fishing How potentially hazardous is the gear in deep water that has been gear to divers? Monofilament gear, prioritized for removal, the following e.g. gill nets, pose a much greater conditions and criteria should be entanglement hazard to divers than considered: pot/trap gear, or heavier-mesh net gear (e.g. purse seines). Because What type of gear is it (i.e. net vs. deepwater diving is already more long line vs. trap/pot)? Generally risky than standard shallow-water speaking, an ROV will be most diving, the added danger of working efficient in cutting a long line or a on gear that could entangle divers rope attached to a trap and buoy, or a must be taken into consideration. small section of monofilament net that is flagging in the water column. Blind grappling from a surface vessel Heavier, denser gear (e.g. a purse will not be an acceptable method of seine) or gear that is closely and lost fishing gear removal because it extensively adhered to substrate will may cause unseen environmental be more successfully removed by damage; an exception may be the divers. removal of gear in waters deeper than 300 ft where divers cannot be safely What are the ocean and habitat deployed, and where the gear has conditions? If it is in a high current, been determined to be hazardous to high-relief area of the seafloor, marine organisms or human activities. successfully and efficiently maneuvering an ROV may be F. Emergency response difficult. Lost fishing gear may, at times, warrant a Are there known biological impacts rapid-response removal effort. If the of the gear? If so, it will be piece of gear poses an imminent and important to photodocument these extremely serious threat to human life, impacts and collect data on threatened or endangered species, critical entanglements. While such data can habitat, or to boating safety, an agency be obtained by an ROV operator with management or enforcement using direct visualization, still jurisdictional authority may request its photography or videography, such removal within a relatively narrow and data may be more easily obtained by immediate timeframe. Emergency divers. response to lost fishing gear can occur when:

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 17 and time by which the gear can be picked 1. The removal operation does not pose up by the owner, preferably at the marina an unusual danger to project staff and at which field operations are based. contractors (at the discretion of the Failure of the gear owner to pick up their project manager); gear by said date and time shall constitute a lack of interest in receiving the gear. 2. Project staff and contractors, vessel(s) and equipment are available Gear that cannot be repatriated will be for rapid deployment; either recycled or disposed. Depending on the type of fishing gear collected, a waste- 3. A state or federal agency has to-energy recycling plant may incinerate requested (in writing) the removal retrieved gear. Fishing nets (synthetic and effort; natural fibers) provide high output energy when incinerated. 4. The requesting agency has authorized the removal effort under its rules and Disposal of gear that cannot be recycled regulations, acknowledging and waiving will occur at public landfills only (i.e. not any rules or regulations that would in public waste containers). To ease otherwise prevent the removal effort; disposal, retrieved gear is cut into manageable pieces, and bundled together 5. Funds are available for the removal to decrease volume. Arrangements for effort: funds usually come from the appropriate transport of recovered gear requesting agency, or may come from must be made prior to the removal: a discretionary project funds, as available vehicle capable of hauling tons of and applicable. If the requesting agency recovered material safely must be arranged or its partners are funding the removal for ahead of time, and must be ready and effort, the project manager shall provide available to haul gear to the landfill at the the agency with estimated costs for the end of the field operation. removal effort prior to deployment of project staff, contractors, vessels and equipment.

IV. DATA MANAGEMENT G. Disposal AND REPORTING

A plan for deposition of gear shall be made before the removal operation, to A. Master database ensure rapid and appropriate deposition of the gear once it is out of the water. Lost fishing gear data is maintained in a master database, using Excel™ for data Best efforts will be made to repatriate lost management. For each piece of gear in gear clearly labeled with an owner name: the database, whether located by the if an identification tag is still present and project during purposeful surveys or readable on removed gear, the field reported by an ocean-user, as much of the manager will contact the gear owner on following information should be recorded the day of gear retrieval and offer to about each target: return the gear to the owner. The field manager shall clearly communicate a date

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 18 . Target id # (assigned by project staff) . Physical status (clean, intact, broken, . Type of gear (net, pot, trap, line, etc) buried, etc) . General location name (e.g. bay, . Functional status (still capable of island, nearest port) entangling/trapping?) . GPS location (in minutes-degrees- . Legal or not legal (legal or illegal rot seconds (in decimals) cord present?) . Depth (in feet) . Observed entanglements/entrapments . Substrate (sand, mud, cobble, rock) (name and # of spp) . Physical status (clean, intact, broken, . Removal status (removed or disabled buried, etc) in place?) . Functional status (still capable of . Removal contractor's name entangling/trapping?) . Photo id # . Legal or not legal (legal or illegal rot cord present?) . Observed entanglements/entrapments C. Field removal operations reports (name and # of spp) . Locator's or reporter's name and This data is reported to the funding contact information agency or organization within 30 days of . Date located or reported (month-day- completion of the operation, or every six year) months if the project is of long duration. . Removal priority (highest to lowest: to The report will include the following be assigned by staff) information: . Date removed . Removal status (removed or disabled . Names and affiliations of all actual in place?) participating individuals, including . Removal contractor's name sponsoring organization or institution . Disposal status (repatriated, recycled . Dates and times of removal operation or disposed) . Location of gear removal operation: . Photo id # latitude and longitude (preferably recorded with GPS coordinates to B. Field report form: nearest second), general description of location, depth range of derelict gear, Each data removal operation is given a and habitat type name (based on location and date), and . Nature of gear removed: type of gear, the following data is collected during each number/volume/length of gear, gear removal operation on a Gear condition of gear, shape of gear (e.g. Removal Operations Field Report form: balled, floating, draped). . Removal methods employed: describe . Name of Project Staff procedure, equipment used, problems . Date(s) of removal encountered, etc . Target id # (assigned by project staff) . Environmental impact: list of . Type of gear (net, pot, trap, line, etc) entrapped or entangled organisms . GPS location (in minutes-degrees- (species and estimate number), data seconds (in decimals) on dead organisms (species and . Depth (in feet) estimated number), degree of . Substrate (sand, mud, cobble, rock) incorporation of gear into the environment, perceived potential

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 19 threat of gear to humans, animals, and the hotline and via the web on a daily surface craft; environmental impact of basis; 2) coordinating location and removal operation (e.g. size of hole removal operations, including emergency dug in sandy bottom to loosen gear) response; 3) maintaining a comprehensive . Type, volume and condition of any database on locations of gear and gear that was not removed quantification and identification of . Disposal: returned (to whom), organisms in removed gear; 4) producing recycled (where and how), or disposed field reports and helping to produce (to where, and how) reports to funders; 5) acting as a project . Cost/benefit analysis of removal and liaison with the regional, state and federal disposal agencies with jurisdictional authority in . state marine waters and for marine resources for field operations; and 6) coordinating public awareness and V. ADMINISTRATION education programs.

The WHC contracts with commercial A. Project staff and administration divers for gear removal operations, and with underwater surveyors for lost gear The California Lost Fishing Gear location via sidescan sonar, as necessary. Recovery Project is administered by the Lost gear location efforts may also occur UC Davis Wildlife Health Center (WHC), on a voluntary basis (e.g. individuals or and is a major initiative of the WHC’s local dive clubs). A concerted effort core marine ecosystem health program, should also be made to coordinate efforts the SeaDoc Society. Both the toll-free with other research or seafloor survey hotline and the website, including the projects in order to acquire data on the downloadable lost gear reporting form, presence of lost fishing gear in a cost- are housed on the SeaDoc Society effective manner. website. The URL for the derelict fishing gear removal project is Funding to support the California Lost www.lostfishinggear.org. Fishing Gear Recovery Project is derived from grants, gifts and contracts from the The SeaDoc Society Executive Director public and private sector, acquired by and oversees the lost gear removal project, and disbursed from the WHC. is responsible for staff supervision, procuring and managing funding contracts and grants for gear location and removal, B. Technical Advisory Committee forming and liaising with the Technical Advisory Committee, and managing the A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) program budget. has been established by the California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project A lost fishing gear removal Project Executive Director. The role of the TAC Manager (can be the SeaDoc Society is to help the SeaDoc Society Executive Executive Director or a different Director and Project Manager achieve the individual) is responsible for the day to objectives of the Project. The TAC may day operations of the project, including: serve as a source of advice and counsel to 1) monitoring reports of lost gear made to the project staff on issues relating to the successful implementation of all goals and

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 20 objectives of the project. The TAC may boat operations, and boating and diving also provides assistance in positioning the safety. The Executive Director of the project for statewide operations and long- SeaDoc Society shall appoint all members term sustainability. The TAC may be of the TAC; the TAC shall serve at the responsible for lending expertise and pleasure of the Executive Director of the technical knowledge and skills to SeaDoc Society. Members shall serve reviewing, revising, testing, and refining from the time of appointment until June project methodologies, as described in the 30 of that fiscal year, with the option for project's Policies and Procedures manual, renewal by the Executive Director. for: gear location, gear removal, gear disposal, database management, and The TAC shall meet either in person or by scientific monitoring of project impact. conference call as frequently as is necessary to accomplish the goals of the The Technical Advisory Committee is project. Meetings shall not exceed a shall be comprised of 6-10 individuals frequency of once-monthly. TAC who, through their professional activities members are expected to accomplish and expertise, demonstrate unique skills project-related tasks (such as document and knowledge pertinent to lost fishing review) during the interim period between gear removal in California. Members of meetings, as necessary. Technical the TAC represent the scientific, marine Advisory Committee members are management, marine industry, and marine reimbursed for travel-related expenses technical communities. At least one incurred in attending in-person meetings. member of the TAC has a high level of expertise in the areas of technical diving,

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 21

APPENDIX A: POTENTIAL SOURCES OF LOST FISHING GEAR IN CALIFORNIA

Reasonably assuming that lost fishing gear banned, the retail value of these currently encountered in California is crabs substantially decreased. The most likely a result of major commercial whole crab market remains fairly and recreational fisheries that have taken low due to the high effort required place since 1940 and/or are currently on- to bring live crabs to market.. going, the following commercial and recreational fisheries may have or may still • California spiny lobster (Panulirus be potential sources of lost gear in interruptus): There is a commercial California5: fishery for California spiny lobster in southern California, south from Invertebrates: Point Conception, typically from • California sea cucumber October through March. Most (Parastichopus californicus) is caught fishermen use a box-like heavy primarily by trawling in southern wire mesh trap to catch spiny California and can be found in the lobster, although traps made of low intertidal to 300 ft water. The plastic and other materials are also first commercial landings were allowed. Traps are most often recorded in 1978 and were fished placed in waters less than 100 ft by divers; however, trawl vessels deep, although can be deployed in also soon began targeting this deeper water (up to 300 ft) fishery. In 2001, there were 113 towards the end of the season. sea cucumber dive permitees and Recreational harvest of spiny 36 sea cucumber trawl permittees. lobster is by hand collection or with hoop nets. • California sheep crab (Loxorhynchus grandis) fishery developed into an • Coonstripe shrimp (Pandalus danae) economically valuable resource commercial fishery is centered of both commercially and Crescent City, California in depths recreationally in 1984. Prior to ranging from 23-28 fathoms. The 1994, gillnets were used to catch most commonly used trap design these crab supplying mostly claws; is a rectangular trap covered in 1 while modified rock crab or 3/8 in. shrimp trawl webbing, with lobster traps with an enlarged two circular openings. The traps funnel are used to supply the are set in high current areas in whole crab market. This fishery strings of 20-30 traps per string. operates over sandy bottom in 30- Fishermen tend to use between 240 ft water. Since gillnets were 300-400 traps per fishing season.

5 • Dungeness crab (Cancer magister): Primary reference: California’s Living Marine Commercial fishing for Resources: A Status Report. 2001. W.S. Leet, C.M. Dewees, R.Klingbeil, and E.J. Larson (eds). Dungeness crab occurs in California Department of Fish and Game, Northern and Central California, Sacramento, CA. 591pp. from Morro Bay north to the

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 22 Oregon border, and the season tend to be caught by recreational typically opens in mid-late Fall and anglers near rocky reefs in 250 to closes mid-summer. There is no 750 feet of water, but juveniles commercial fishing for Dungeness have also been noted to aggregate crab in southern California (south in shallow sandy areas near piers of Morro Bay). Commercial crab in central and southern California fishermen use circular steel pots where they are caught on hook 3.5 ft in diameter and weighing 60- and line. 120 lbs, with a 4.25 in diameter circular opening to allow sublegal • California barracuda (Sphyraena crabs to escape. Pots must also be argentea), also known as the Pacific fitted with a destruction device (a barracuda, is fished both "rot cord") that causes the pot commercially and recreationally. door to open, allowing crabs to According to fishery dependent escape should pots be lost. Crab data, this species is most highly pots are deployed at depths of 60- concentrated between San 240 ft. Recreational take of Quintín, Baja California and Point Dungeness crab is minimal in Conception, California. They are comparison to the commercial caught most often at the surface, fishery. but have been taken in water as deep as 120 ft. Catch tends to be • Rock crab (Cancer spp) are fished highest during the spring and commercially along the entire summer often correlating with California coast, although the warm sea temperatures the fishery is most active in Southern preceeding winter. Commercial California, from Morro Bay south. fishing for barracuda peaks during Commercial gear consists of a May and June. Commercially single-chamber rectangular trap harvested barracuda are most made of welded wire mesh or of frequently taken by gillnets with molded plastic. Trapping occurs in 3.5 in. mesh and some are also 90-240 ft water. taken by hook and line. Sport anglers use hook and line to catch Nearshore and bottom fish barracuda. Generally recreational fishers target depths near the • Bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis), also surface with highest catches known as red snapper, rock cod, occuring May through September. grouper, salmon grouper, or tomcod (juveniles), has been most • California halibut (Paralichthys abundant in the trawl fishery, but californicus) is an important have also been taken by set net, commercial and recreational longline, and in the recreational fishery in central and southern fishery. The bottom trawl fishery California. Legally sized halibut targeted Bocaccio from Morro tend to live on soft bottom Bay to Fort Bragg. Landings habitats and can be found most peaked at 15 million pounds in frequently in areas less than 100 ft 1983, but have steadily declined water. Historically, they have been since then, falling below 0.5 commercially harvested in million pounds 1998. Bocaccio California by otter trawl, set gill

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 23 and trammel net, and hook and reach the largest size of any line. However, trawling is not rockfish in southern California. permitted in state waters except in The commercial fishery peaked in the designated “California halibut 1976 with 213 tons, and has trawl grounds,” ranging from steadily declined since with Point Arguello to Point Mugu in landings in 1999 at 14 tons. The waters greater than one nautical recreational fishery is significantly mile from shore. Gill and trammel robust and actually exceeded nets with 8.5 in. mesh and a commercial landings from 1959 to maximum length of 9,000 ft are 1980. Fishing areas close to major the main type of gear used in ports have been heavily exploited, southern California. Currently, this so the most productive cowcod gear is prohibited in Santa Monica fishing areas in the Southern Bay, shallow coastal waters north California Bight are located well of Point Sal, and is subject to offshore. While commercial many other area, depth, and landings have been highest in the seasonal closures throughout the Southern California Bight in the state. Gill and trammel nets have past, landings have been larger in also been prohibited in the Marine Monterey Bay in more recent Resources Protection Zone years. Most recreational effort is (MRPZ) since 1994 ranging three conducted from private fishing miles off southern California from boats and commercial passenger Point Conception to the Mexican vessels (CPFVs) using hook and border and within one mile or 70 line gear. Cowcod have been fathoms (whichever is closer to commercially harvested using the coast) around the Channel hook and line, set net, and by Islands. trawl. However, since 2000, limits have been drastically reduced to • California scorpionfish (Scorpaena two cowcod per boat for the guttata) is a valuable commercial recreational fishery and one fishery in southern California and cowcod per trip for the is a moderately important commercial fishery. recreational fishery. The fish occurs most frequently in depths • Lingcod (Ophiodon elongates) is a of 20-450 ft water ranging from historically important food source Santa Cruz to southern Baja in California and tend to become California. It tends to prefer hard increasingly abundant to the bottom substrates such as rocky north. However, recent lingcod reefs, sewer pipes and wrecks, but stock assessments have shown can also be found on sand. The California populations to be less majority of the catch goes to the than 25 percent of their pre-1970s live fish fishery. These fish tend levels and thus have a limited to be taken by traps or hook and season for nearshore areas. They line. are most frequently found in rocky areas in depths of 30 to 330 ft • Cowcod (Sebastes levis) are fished water and have been fished using both commercially and hook and line as well as trawls. recreationally in California and

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 24 however, in 1967, fishermen began using depth telemetry • Pacific bonito (Sarda chiliensis) is an systems on midwater trawlers to economically important help locate hake. As a result, the commercial fishery as well as one fishery grew from 484 tons in of the 15 most sought after 1964 to 15,883 tons in 1967. species for recreational anglers. Several international fisheries, Bonito are fished year around by including the Federal Republic of commercial fishers south of Point Germany (West Germany), the Conception with the largest German Democratic Republic catches in late summer and early (East Germany), Bulgaria, and fall. Commercial fishing takes Japan, began exploiting the Pacific place north of Point Conception hake resource. During this time, in the summer and fall. Bonito are the approximate landings peaked fished commercially in California at 262,000 tons in 1976. Foreign using primarily purse seine gear involvement in this fishery within used on wetfish seiners. Wet fish state waters was limited by the seiners typically target mackerel adoption of the Magnuson and sardines, but seasonally will Fisheries Conservation and harvest bonito, squid, and bluefin Management Act in 1976. Foreign tuna. Most wetfish seiners fish in fisheries were slowly eliminated the Santa Barbara and San Pedro from directly harvesting this Channels. Recreational fishers resource, thus resulting in further harvest bonito year around south development of domestic of Point Conception with the fisheries. In 1999, about 11,000 highest catches occurring in the tons of hake were landed off summer. North of Point California. Conception, recreational anglers take the most fish in the fall. • Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) in Bonito are caught recreationally California are caught primarily for using hook and line either by their roe, with some whole herring casting or trolling. sold as seafood, to aquaria, and as bait. The fishery is limited to San • Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), Francisco Bay (where 90% of the often referred to as Pacific state’s harvest occurs), Tomales whiting, is the largest groundfish Bay, Humboldt Bay and the fishery managed under the Pacific Crescent City Harbor. Herring are Fishery Council’s Groundfish caught with gillnet gear. Spawning Management Plan. Pacific hake occurs generally from November makes up over 50 percent of the through March. potential annual harvest of West Coast groundfish in California, • Rockfish, bank (Sebastes rufus) are Oregon, and Washington. While fished both commercially and this fishery does not attract a high recreationally. They are found price per pound, the large most commonly in deeper waters quantities landed make this a (300 to 800 feet of water) for both profitable fishery. Prior to 1960, fisheries; however, they are caught Pacific hake was mostly incidental; throughout California

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 25 commercially and generally the primary gear used to fish recreational fishery catches most chilipeppers is trawl, but some bank rockfish south of Point hook-and-line and gillnets are also Conception. The primary method used. Adult chilipeppers tend to used for commercial catch is by be found on deep rocky reefs, as trawl. Since 1992, commercial well as on sand and mud bottoms harvests have been fairly steady. In in 150 to 1,400 feet of water. 1998, approximately 450,000 pounds of bank rockfish were • Rockfish, widow (Sebastes entomelas) caught commercially. is ranked as one of the top three rockfish landed in California; • Rockfish, blackgill (Sebastes however, it is only a small melanostomus) is a deep water recreational fishery. The commercial fishery which began in commercial fishery was small until the mid-1970s. Most blackgills are 1979, when the market improved landed in central and southern and widow rockfish began to be California in 825 to 1,980 feet of harvested by midwater trawl. As water, usually in high relief rocky of 1983, strict regulations limited outcrops with lots of caves and commercial harvests dramatically crevices, but they have also been such that recent annual landings taken from midwater areas over have been about 1000 tons. Over reefs. Blackgills were first caught 50% of commercially caught with vertical longlines and then widow rockfish come from the with longlines and gillnets. Most Eureka and Crescent City area and recently, they are fished with another 30% come from San horizontal setlines in southern Francisco and Bodega Bay. Most California and trawls in northern of the remaining catch comes California. Blackgill landings have from the Fort Bragg and Monterey decreased since 1983, but remain areas. While historically, the an important fishery in Asian fish commercial fishery used mainly markets in southern California. In midwater trawl gear, often a single 1998, commercial landings were trawl would catch more fish than about 336,000 pounds. the quota would allow per trip. Thus, many boats will now use • Rockfish, chilipepper (Sebastes less efficient bottom trawls, goodie) is an important rockfish gillnets, or longlines to target this species for both commercial and fishery. recreational fisheries in California. Chilipeppers averaged 3.8 million • Rockfish, yellowtail (Sebastes pounds annually from 1996 flavidus), also known as “greenies” through 1998, ranking the highest by commercial fishermen, made of any rockfish species in up approximately 13 percent of California for the commercial the total rockfish landed on the industry. They are found most west coast of the United States frequently in ports such as Fort from 1993 to 1998. Yellowtail Bragg, Bodega Bay, San Francisco, rockfish tend to be fished most Princeton, Monterey, Moss frequently in Oregon and Landing and Morro Bay. The Washington, but northern

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 26 California does carry a significant predominant salmonid harvested amount of the total west coast in California, although 6 other landings. The annual catch for this species occur in state marine species in California from 1980 to waters (coho, pink, sockeye, 1998 averaged 1,080 tons per year. chum, steelhead, cutthroat), but Trawl fishing accounts for the are either caught in very low majority of commercially caught numbers (pinks), protected from yellowtail rockfish and is the harvest (coho, sockeye, and chum) predominant gear used in the Fort or caught recreationally in streams Bragg area; however, hook-and- and rivers (steelhead and line and setnet fixed gear are also cutthroat). Several runs of used in San Francisco, Bodega Chinook are protected under the Bay, and Monterey. The Endangered Species Act. recreational fishery accounts for Commercial salmon fishermen use over one-third of yellowtail trolling gear, while recreational rockfish landings in the last twenty fishermen use hook and line gear. years, and like the commercial fishery occurs most frequently • Sole, Dover (Microstomus pacificus) is from Monterey northward. the most abundant groundfish species in California landings. The • Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) is a fishery ranges from Santa Barbara prized species in California and to the Oregon border, but Eureka, has been commercially fished for Fort Bragg, Crescent City, San many years due to their oily meat Francisco, Monterey, and Morro high in vitamin A. Prior to 1977, Bay typically have the most sablefish were landed by Japanese landings. Dover sole are fished and Korean fishermen within along with thorneyheads and Californian waters as well as by sablefish using primarily trawl U.S. fishing vessels. The gear. The dover sole, establishment of the 200-mile thorneyhead, and sablefish fishery fishery conservation zone in 1977 is known as the "DTS complex" prevented foreign vessels from and tends to be managed as a fishing within state waters, thus single fishery. Landings for dover providing an even higher market sole in California from 1990 for sablefish exports for through 1999 averaged 5,892 tons. Californian commercial vessels. They tend to frequent muddy The commercial gear used to bottoms in depths from 180 to catch sablefish include longline, 4,800 feet of water. trap, bottom trawl, and gill net gear; however, bottom trawlers • Sole, English (Pleuronectes vetulus) is catch about 70 percent of landings a commercially valuable species in recent years in California. and iscurrently are the second Bottom trawl in deep water will most abundantly harvested fish of often catch dover sole and the flatfish group, the first being thorneyheads, as well as, sablefish. Dover sole. The peak harvest for English sole occurred in 1929 with • Salmon, Chinook (or king, 8.7 million pounds landed. Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is the Average annual landings in

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 27 California from 1990 to 1999 were 630,000 pounds annually. 1.3 million pounds. Trawling is the Landings in California used to be predominant gear used today and most abundant in Eureka and the the majority of landings occur off Crescent City area, but since 1985, Eureka and San Francisco in 120 rex sole have become increasingly to 900 feet of water over sandy abundant in more southern ports, bottoms. Some are also caught such as Morro Bay. using hook-and-line or gillnet gear. Little commercial take of English • Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) is the sole occurs south of Point most important recreational Conception. fishery in San Francisco Bay and one of the most important • Sole, petrale (Eopsetta jordani) is recreational fisheries on the harvested commercially with very Pacific coast. Striped bass fishing little recreational effort, but is occurs year-round, and are considered a highly desirable generally caught by bait fishing or flatfish. Most petrale sole are trolling, although they are also caught with bottom trawls, along caught on fly rods or with jigs or with other species of flatfish and casting plugs. rockfish. They tend to inhabit areas from the Bering Sea to • Thorneyhead (Sebastolobus altivelis northern Baja California and are and S. alascanus): Two species of known to migrate large distances. thorneyheads are important The commercial fishery tends to commercial fisheries in California target petrale sole in deep water waters, the longspine (S. altivelis) where large landings occur. and shortspine (S. alascanus). Both During the summer, petrale species are fished along with dover landings tend to be smaller, and sole and sablefish in deeper water therefore are fished along with (typically 1,800 to 3,000 feet of other groundfish. water) using bottom trawl and longline gear. Most thorneyheads • Sole, rex (Errex zachirus, formerly are taken north of Point Glyptocephalus zachirus) is fished Conception with highest landings commercially along the California reported in the Eureka, Fort coastline in depths of 300 to 1,200 Bragg, and Morro Bay areas. feet of water, however it is also fished as far north as the Bering • White Croaker (Genyonemus lineatus) Sea. Rex sole are most frequently are fished both commercially and encountered in 200 to 2,100 feet recreationally in California. The of water on muddy to sandy majority of the commercial catch bottoms, and tend to be fished since 1980 has been centered in along with other groundfish central California, while the sport species using mainly trawl gear. fishery tends to be most Landings were steady from 1970 concentrated in southern to 1989 with average annual California. Since 1980, the main landings at 1.6 million pounds. commercially used fishing gear for However, by the end of the 1990s, this species tends has been gillnet landings had declined to about and hook and line, while the

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 28 recreational fishery uses hook and Today, some Californian vessels line. White croaker live in high will also harvest South Pacific concentrations in nearshore stocks off New Zealand’s coast. California over soft, sandy-mud Trolling accounts for about 90 benthic habitat and tend to be percent of the commercial catch; most abundant south of Point however, pole-and-line, purse Reyes, California. They are found seines, drift gillnets, and longlines in highest concentrations in 10- are also used to harvest albacore 100 ft water. depending on the water depth being fished. Presently, • White seabass (Atractoscion nobilis): California’s troll fishery harvests Currently, catches of white seabass about 10 percent of the total are highest along the coast from international commercial landings Point Conception to San Diego of North Pacific albacore. and around the Channel Islands. Prior to 1994, set gillnets were the • California market squid (Loligo primary means for fishing this opalescens) is the largest fishery in species, but today, drift gillnets are California. During the 1990s, the most used fishing method for squid harvests were the largest by this species. Some hook and line volume in six of the years, and was does occur when targeting larger ranked the state's most valuable individuals in the early spring. The catch resource in three of the recreational fishery uses hook and years. In recent years, 90 percent line gear. of squid harvest occurs south of Point Conception. Market squid Offshore/pelagic fish are caught in sandy near shore areas during the winter while they • Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) is are spawning. In southern currently one of California’s most California the fishery is most important fisheries and is fished active from November and tapers both commercially and off in the springtime months. recreationally. Albacore is a highly Conversely, squid that are migratory fish and, as a result, is harvested in the central California targeted by several countries fishery, mainly in Monterey Bay, besides the United States, tend to aggregate and spawn including Japan, Taiwan, South during the summer. Squid are Korea, and North Korea in the taken in shallow water areas (50- western Pacific Ocean, and 150 feet water) when they Canada and Mexico in the eastern aggregate to spawn. Fishers attract Pacific Ocean. Most of the these aggregations of squid to the albacore harvested by California surface of the water by shining commercial fishing vessels is bright lights. Once they are processed as canned “white meat” located, a second vessel will catch tuna. These boats tend to target the squid using round haul nets. the North Pacific albacore stock Round haul nets have consisted of during the summer and fall as the purse seine, drum seine, and fish migrate through the lampara nets, however, lampara northeastern Pacific Ocean.

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 29 nets became virtually obsolete by 246,530 pounds. The highest the end of 1990. landings during this time period occurred in 1998 and were • Northern anchovy (Engraulis associated with the 1997-1998 El mordax) are harvested by three Nino event. In recent years, the separate fisheries in California. majority of opah have been Anchovy caught by the reduction harvested from San Luis Obisbo fishery are used in meal, oil, and County southward, with about 50 soluble protein to feed farmed fish percent from San Diego County. and animals. The reduction fishery uses mainly purse seine gear in • Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus), harvesting this species. Anchovy also called chub mackerel or blue targeted by the live bait fishery are mackerel, made up one of kept alive for sale to fishers as California’s major fisheries during bait. Anchovy are also landed by the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in the non-reduction (other than live the 1980s. The fishery experienced bait) fishery and are used as dead a major decline which led to a frozen bait, fresh and canned stock collapse and resulted in a fished for human food, animal moratorium on the fishery in food, and as anchovy paste. 1970. The fishery did recover with Northern anchovy became an management adjustments. Today, increasingly important fishery as purse seine boats target Pacific Pacific sardines became scarce and mackerel in the Southern tends to occur mainly off southern California Bight, including the California. The fishery peaked Channel Islands and banks from 1965 to 1982 when the offshore. Some are also taken in reduction fishery averaged over Monterey Bay. This is a year- 64,000 tons annually. Reduction round fishery with an increase in landings decreased dramatically in landings from June to September. the years following. Non- reduction (other than for live bait) • Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) are also fairly low averaging about was the largest fishery in the 4,122 tons annually between 1995 western hemisphere in the 1930s and 1999. and 1940s, but declined drastically thereafter until recent years. • Opah (Lampris guttatus) are taken Sardines were taken only as primarily as incidental catch (97 incidental catch up until 1986 percent) in the drift gillnet fishery through 1990, when only 1,000 and the remaining 3 percent are tons per year were permitted to be targeted by the high seas longline taken, and then began increasing fishery beyond the U.S. Exclusive in the following years. Currently, Economic Zone (200 mile limit) sardines harvested in southern and off the California coastline. High central California are used for opah landings are often associated human consumption, pet food, or with warm water events in for export, with some allocated as California, such as during El bait. Sardine landings in 1999 Ninos. From 1990 to 1999, annual totaled 62,600 tons and the 2000 landings ranged from 81,669 to sardine fishery harvest guideline

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 30 allotted 205,902 tons for this well. In most recent years most of California fishery, a 65 percent the catches off California have increase over the 1999 CDFG been recorded from August quota. through October.

• Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) are an • Tuna, skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) important fishery worldwide with have been fished in the Eastern reported Pacific-wide landings Pacific since the early 1900s using averaging about 65 million pounds purse seine, gillnet, and longline. annually. In the eastern Pacific, They are often caught along with swordfish are most commonly yellowfin tuna. Approximately 80 fished using longlines, drift nets percent of the total commercial and hand-held harpoons. Drift skipjack tuna landings in nets used in this fishery tend to California were made by purse have mesh sizes ranging between seiners between 1984 and 1999. 14 to 22 inches. The net is The number of boats using purse suspended by a floatline at the seines have decreased from 141 surface and the bottom of the net vessels in 1976 to 9 in 1999. Bait is weighted by a leadline which boats, longline, troll, and gillnet allows the netting to hang like a fisheries make up the other 20 loose curtain which entangles the percent of landings. U.S. swordfish in the water column. commercial vessels fishing for These nets tend to be set at sunset skipjack tuna in the eastern Pacific and are hauled at sunrise. The must comply with state and number of drift net vessels have federal regulations including those fluctuated in numbers of about regulations suggested by the Inter- 220 in 1985 to about 100 in recent American Tropical Tuna years due to increasingly strict Commission (IATTC). regulations. Longline and harpoons make up a much smaller • Tuna, yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) proportion of the fishery and are an important commercial probably contribute minimally to fishery Pacific wide; however, the derelict fishing gear. While U.S. fleet that operates in the swordfish are targeted anywhere eastern Pacific has decreased from from Mexico to Oregon, about 141 purse seiners in 1976 to nine two-thirds of the landings are in 1999. While the majority of made in southern California. effort has been by purse seine, yellowfin tuna have also been • Tuna, Pacific northern bluefin fished both commercially and (Thunnus orientalis) are fished both recreationally, by bait boats, commercially and recreationally. gillnet, and troll. The decrease in The commercial fishery uses fishing effort in the eastern Pacific mostly purse seiners and are is due to stricter guidelines mostly encountered between Cabo associated with fishing yellowfin San Lucas, Baja California to Point tuna according to “dolphin safe” Conception, California. Some policy, thus driving the majority of Pacific northern bluefin are caught purse seiners to the western by drift gillnets and longline as Pacific. Between 1984 and 1999,

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 31 purse seine landings averaged 86 using set gillnet and hook and line, percent of total yellowfin tuna and some trawl. Once gillnetting landings in California and 11 was banned from the San percent are attributed to bait boat Francisco/Monterey Bay areas in landings. Recreational fisheries 1986, there was a decline in tend to target this species in landings in northern California waters off southern California and with an increase in landings in Mexico. southern California. Since 1991, leopard shark have had an average Sharks annual harvest of about 31,000 pounds per year, with • Common thresher shark (Alopias approximately 57 percent of vulpinus) is the most abundant landings occurring south of Point commercially caught shark in Piedras Blancas. California. Current harvests are much less than in previous years, • Pacific angel shark (Squatina particularly from 1977 through californica) has been a highly sought 1989, when land ings averaged 1.1 after commercial shark species in million pounds dressed weight per the Santa Barbara Channel since year. More recent estimates of the 1980s. It is targeted in landings average about 0.4 million association with the thresher pounds from 1990 through 1998. shark. As thresher shark become Thresher shark are most often infrequent in the winter, angel harvested using drift gillnets (78 shark supplement the catch. Angel percent), and the remaining are shark also supplement the halibut taken by set gillnets (18 percent) fishery. These shark are fished and other gear (4 percent). using primarily monofilament Thresher shark originally were gillnet or trammel net. Two targeted in southern California factors have attributed to a with a peak of 225 vessels in 1982, decrease in angel shark landings in but as the fishery grew it expanded California in recent years: first a to the north to Morro Bay, huge drop in landings has Monterey Bay and then to San occurred since 1990, secondly the Francisco Bay. Currently, this 1991 ban on the use of gill and fishery is permitted throughout trammel nets within 3 miles of the California in water up to 200 miles southern California mainland offshore in 30 to 2,000 fathoms of coast and within one mile around water over banks, escarpments, the Channel Islands. They are still and canyons. Various other fished in association with halibut closures exist within this area to open areas and in waters outside reduce interactions with the restricted areas. However, leatherback and loggerhead sea Mexico is the main supplier of turtles. angel shark in the U.S. today. Angel shark are found most often • Leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) in 30-300 ft water and were are caught as a food source, game commonly fished in the Channel fish, and for the aquarium Islands area. The recreational industry. They are fished primarily fishery has remained low in

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 32 nearshore areas using hook and in a high seas shark and swordfish line gear. longline fishery which began in 1991. Most high seas fishing • Shortfin mako shark (Isurus occurs outside of the 200-nautical- oxyrinchus) became a valued fishery mile Exclusive Economic Zone in in 1987 due to the development of international waters. Some drift longlines. Prior to this time, shortfin mako have also been shortfin mako were taken as landed by this gear in ports in incidental catch in drift gillnets California with annual harvests targeting thresher shark and ranging from 128,116 to 9,523 swordfish. While this spurred pounds from 1991-1999. Mako interest in shortfin mako, drift sharks tend to be found most longline permits were not issued often south of the Mendocino again beginning in 1992. Today, Escarpment in depths up to 500 mako sharks are being taken in feet of water and greater than 61 drift gillnets along with swordfish degrees F. and thresher sharks with annual landings ranging from 600,000 pounds in 1987 and 100,000 pounds 1999. They are also taken

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 33

APPENDIX B. FIELD OPERATIONS NOTIFICATION PROCESS

At least 7 days prior to a planned lost fishing gear location operation, and at least 14 days prior to a planned lost fishing gear removal operation, the project coordinator will submit (via facsimile) the following Notification of Lost Fishing Gear Location/Recovery Operation to the following regional, state and federal agencies with management or enforcement authority in the area of field operations. Exception: An additional notice, a "Local Notice to Mariners" is submitted to the US Coast Guard at least 14 days in advance of field operations (see below: Appendix B, part II, item B)

I. Notification of At-Sea Field Operations: Text of facsimile

"From: California Lost Fishing Gear Removal Project; 1-888-491-GEAR (-4327)

To: [Name of agency or institution or department]

Re. Notification of At-Sea Field Operations

The California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project aims to document and map the presence of lost and abandoned recreational and commercial fishing gear, and to remove gear from state marine waters using divers. The California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project is being conducted by the SeaDoc Society (www.seadocsociety.org), a marine ecosystem health program of the University of California, Davis Wildlife Health Center.

On [date], we will be [surveying for/removing lost] fishing gear during daylight hours in [depth] feet of water [off/in location], launching from [port of embarkation] and working our way [direction] depending on weather conditions. We will work aboard the [name of boat], and the boat will deploy [free divers to survey all subtidal habitat for derelict fishing gear in 0-40 feet of water/a 600 khz sidescan sonar transducer to image structures on the seafloor/scuba divers to remove derelict pots- traps-nets]. The goal of this field operation is to [document lost gear type and locations around (location); remove up to # pieces of lost fishing gear]. We will be working in [habitat type], and potentially in the vicinity of [sensitive species], and are taking the following precautions to minimize impacts to this [habitat and/or species]: [itemize special steps].

Please forward this notification to all appropriate staff and offices. If you have questions or concerns about our planned operation, particularly concerning protected species or habitats, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at [phone #] (office) or [phone #] (cell).

Sincerely, [NAME] Project Manager"

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 34 II. Agencies to be notified

At least 7 days prior to a planned lost fishing gear location operation, and at least 14 days prior to a planned lost fishing gear removal operation, the project coordinator will submit (via facsimile) the following Notification of Lost Fishing Gear Location/Removal Operation to the following regional, state and federal agencies with management or enforcement authority in the area of field operations.

I. Notification of At-Sea Field Operations: Text of facsimile

"From: California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project; 1-888-491-GEAR (-4327)

To: [Name of agency or institution or department]

Re. Notification of At-Sea Field Operations

The California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project aims to document and map the presence of lost and abandoned recreational and commercial fishing gear, and to remove gear from state marine waters using divers. The California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project is being conducted by the SeaDoc Society (www.seadocsociety.org), a marine ecosystem health program of the University of California, Davis Wildlife Health Center.

On [date], we will be [surveying for/removing lost] fishing gear during daylight hours in [depth] feet of water [off/in location], launching from [port of embarkation] and working our way [direction] depending on weather conditions. We will work aboard the [name of boat], and the boat will deploy [free divers to survey all subtidal habitat for lost fishing gear in 0-40 feet of water/a 600 khz sidescan sonar transducer to image structures on the seafloor/scuba divers to remove lost pots-traps-nets]. The goal of this field operation is to [document lost gear type and locations around (location); remove up to # pieces of lost fishing gear]. We will be working in [habitat type], and potentially in the vicinity of [sensitive species], and are taking the following precautions to minimize impacts to this [habitat and/or species]: [itemize special steps].

Please forward this notification to all appropriate staff and offices. If you have questions or concerns about our planned operation, particularly concerning protected species or habitats, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at [phone #] (office) or [phone #] (cell).

Sincerely, [NAME] Project Manager"

II. Agencies to be notified

The Notification of Field Operations should be sent to the following organizations and agencies for location and removal operations:

A. California Department of Fish and Game - Marine Region:

1) Near Shore Ecosystem /RAP Manager – Marine Region: John Ugoretz, 805-568-1235

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 35 2) Assistant Chief of Enforcement, Marine Region Coordinator: Tony Warrington, 916-653- 3772 (fax); 916-826-9416 (cell)

3) Regional offices: Eureka: 707-445-6664 Fort Bragg: 707-964-0642 Bodega Bay: 707-875-4269 Santa Rosa: 707-576-7132 Monterey: 831-649-2894 Santa Barbara: 805-568-1235 Los Alamitos: 562-342-7139 La Jolla: 858-546-7003 San Diego: 858-467-4299

B. US Coast Guard District 11

At a minimum of 14 days prior to gear removal operations, request publication in the Local Notice to Mariners, by providing the following information to the Coast Guard Aids to Navigation office via an email to: ______:

1. Type of operation, i.e. diving operation. 2. Location of operation, including Latitude/ Longitude and geographical position if applicable. 3. Duration of operation, including start and completion dates. If these dates change, the Coast Guard needs to be notified. 4. Vessels involved in the operation. 5. VHF-FM radio frequencies monitored by vessels on scene. 6. Point of contact and 24 hour phone number. 7. Chart number for the area of the operation.

In addition to filing the aforementioned Local Notice to Mariners with the US Coast Guard, a project Notice of Field Operations should be sent to the following US Coast Guard units:

1) 11th District Commander: 510-437-5793

2) OIC at the appropriate Sector office: Humboldt Bay Sector: 707-839-6129 San Francisco Sector: 415-399-3579 Los Angeles/Long Beach Sector: 310-732-2027 San Diego Sector: 619-278-7035; and

3) OIC at the appropriate local shore station: Humboldt Bay: 707-269-2541 Bodega Bay: 707-875-2711 Golden Gate: 415-331-2816 San Francisco: 415-399-3594 Monterey: 831-647-7307 Morro Bay: 805-772-9100

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 36 Channel Islands Harbor: 805-984-1842 Los Angeles: 310-732-7305 San Diego: 619-278-7674

C. United States Navy

Naval Base Coronado (San Diego): 619-545-0182 Naval Base Point Loma (San Diego): 619-553-9247 Naval Base San Diego: 619-556-1431 Naval Base Ventura County (Point Mugu): 805-989-1707 Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach: 562-626-7309 Vandenberg Air Force Base: 805-605-2663

D. County Sheriff's Offices and/or Harbor/Port Police Stations:

Del Norte: 707-465-5742 Humboldt: 707-445-7298 Mendocino: 707-961-2662 Sonoma: 707-526-0403 Marin: 415-499-4126 Contra Costa: 925-335-1508 Alameda: 510-568-6967 Santa Clara: 408-283-0562 San Francisco: 415-554-7050 San Mateo: 650-728-9507 Santa Cruz: 831-454-2353 Monterey: 831-647-7888 San Luis Obispo: 805-781-1041 Santa Barbara: 805-681-4079 -and- 805-566-2166 Ventura: 805-654-5185 Los Angeles Police Dept - Harbor Station: 310-518-6386 Marine del Rey: 310-822-7696 Orange - Harbor Patrol Division: 949-673-6285 Oceanside: 760- 439-3058 San Diego: 760-942-5093 -and-San Diego Harbor Police: 619-226-8267

E. Harbor Districts / Harbormasters / Ports

Crescent City: 707-465-3535 Eureka: 707-443-0800 San Francisco Yacht Harbor: 415-292-2015 Pillar Point: 650-583-4611 Santa Cruz: 831-475-9558 Moss Landing: 831-633-1201 Monterey: 831-646-5674 Port San Luis: 805-595-5404

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 37 Morro Bay: 805-772-6258 Santa Barbara: 805-897-2588 Channel Islands Harbor: 805-815-4947 Redondo Beach: 310-374-2286 Long Beach (3 marina): 562-570-8640 -and-562-570-3247 -and- 562-570-1799 Dana Point: 949-496-9554 Avalon: 310-510-2640

F. National Marine Sanctuaries

Cordell Bank: 415-663-0315 Gulf of the Farallons: 415-561-6616 Monterey Bay: 831-647-4250 Channel Islands: 805-568-582

G. National Park Service

Redwood National Park: 707-464-1812 Point Reyes National Seashore: 415-663-8132 Channel Islands National Park: 805-658-5799 Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area: 805-370-1850 Cabrillo National Monument: 619-226-6311

H. Coastal State Parks and Beaches

North Coast Redwoods District: 707-441-5737 Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park (Del Norte County) Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area (Humboldt County) Humboldt Lagoons State Park (Humboldt County) Little River State Beach (Humboldt County) Patrick's Point State Park (Humboldt County) Pelican State Beach (Del Norte County) Tolowa Dunes State Park (Del Norte County) Trinidad State Beach (Humboldt County)

Mendocino District: 707-937-2953 Caspar Headlands State Reserve (Mendocino County) Greenwood State Beach (Mendocino County) MacKerricher State Park (Mendocino County) Mendocino Headlands State Park (Mendocino County) Russian Gulch State Park (Mendocino County) Salt Point State Park (Sonoma County) Schooner Gulch State Beach (Mendocino County) Sonoma Coast State Beach (Sonoma County) Van Damme State Park (Mendocino County) Westport-Union Landing State Beach (Mendocino County)

North Bay District: 707-865-2046

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 38 Angel Island State Park (Marin County) Benicia State Recreation Area (Solano County) Candlestick Point State Recreation Area (San Francisco County) China Camp State Park (Marin County) Eastshore State Park (Alameda County) Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve (Alameda County) Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach (Alameda County) Tomales Bay State Park (Marin County)

Santa Cruz District: 831-335-6394 Año Nuevo State Reserve (San Mateo County) Bean Hollow State Beach (San Mateo County) Gray Whale Cove State Beach (San Mateo County) Half Moon Bay State Beach (San Mateo County) Lighthouse Field State Beach (Santa Cruz County) Manresa State Beach (Santa Cruz County) Montara State Beach (San Mateo County) Natural Bridges State Beach (Santa Cruz County) New Brighton State Beach (Santa Cruz County) Pacifica State Beach (San Mateo County) Pescadero State Beach (San Mateo County) Pomponio State Beach (San Mateo County) San Gregorio State Beach (San Mateo County) Seacliff State Beach (Santa Cruz County) Sunset State Beach (Santa Cruz County) Thornton State Beach (San Mateo County) Twin Lakes State Beach (Santa Cruz County)

Monterey District: 831-647-6239 Andrew Molera State Park (Monterey County) Asilomar State Beach (Monterey County) Carmel River State Beach (Monterey County) Fort Ord Dunes State Park (Monterey County) Garrapata State Park (Monterey County) John Little State Reserve (Monterey County) Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (Monterey County) Limekiln State Park (Monterey County) Marina State Beach (Monterey County) Monterey State Beach (Monterey County) Moss Landing State Beach (Monterey County) Point Lobos State Reserve (Monterey County) Salinas River State Beach (Monterey County) Zmudowski State Beach (Monterey County)

San Luis Obispo Coast District: 805-927-2031 Cayucos State Beach (San Luis Obispo County) Estero Bay State Park Property (San Luis Obispo County) Morro Bay State Park (San Luis Obispo County)

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 39 Morro Strand State Beach (San Luis Obispo County) Montaña de Oro State Park (San Luis Obispo County) Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (San Luis Obispo County) Pismo State Beach (San Luis Obispo County) San Simeon State Park (San Luis Obispo County) William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach (San Luis Obispo County)

Channel Coast District: 805- 585-1857 Carpinteria State Beach (Santa Barbara County) El Capitán State Beach (Santa Barbara County) Emma Wood State Beach (Ventura County) Gaviota State Park (Santa Barbara County) Mandalay State Beach (Ventura County) McGrath State Beach (Ventura County) Point Mugu State Park (Ventura County) Point Sal State Beach (Santa Barbara County) Refugio State Beach (Santa Barbara County) San Buenaventura State Beach (Ventura County)

Orange Coast District: 949-492-8412 Bolsa Chica State Beach (Orange County) Corona Del Mar State Beach (Orange County) Crystal Cove State Park (Orange County) Doheny State Beach (Orange County) Huntington State Beach (Orange County) San Clemente State Beach (Orange County)

Angeles District: 818-880-6165 Dockweiler State Beach (Los Angeles County) Leo Carillo State Park (Los Angeles County) Malibu Lagoon State Beach (Los Angeles County) Point Dume State Beach (Los Angeles County) Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach (Los Angeles County) Santa Monica State Beach (Los Angeles County) Will Rogers State Beach (Los Angeles County)

San Diego Coast District: 619-688-3229 Border Field State Park (San Diego County) Cardiff State Beach (San Diego County) Carlsbad State Beach (San Diego County) Leucada State Beach (San Diego County) Moonlight State Beach (San Diego County) San Elijo State Beach (San Diego County) San Onofre State Beach (San Diego County) Silver Strand State Beach (San Diego County) South Carlsbad State Beach (San Diego County) Tijuana Estuary NP (San Diego County) Torrey Pines State Beach (San Diego County)

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 40

I. State Water Resources Control Board

1) Coordinator, Areas of Special Biological Significance: 916-341-5470 (if applicable)

2) Regional Water Quality Control Boards: North Coast Region: 707-523-0135 San Francisco Bay Region: 510-622-2460 Central Coast Region: 805-543-0397 Los Angeles Region: 213-576-6640 San Diego Region: 858-571-6972

J. Marine Laboratories

Bodega Marine Laboratory (UC Davis): 707-875-2009 Romburg Tiburon Center (SF State): 415-435-7120 Hopkins Marine Station (Stanford University): 831-375-0793 Long Marine Laboratory (UC Santa Cruz): 831-459-1221 Moss Landing Marine Labs (Cal State University): 831-632-4403 Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute: 831-775-1620 USC Wrigley Science Center, Santa Catalina Island: 213-740-6720 Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UC San Diego): 858-453-0167

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 41

APPENDIX C: LOST FISHING GEAR REMOVAL PRIORITIZATION

such as on a beach above the high tide I. Lost gear removal criteria line.

Lost fishing gear removal criteria are grouped Moderate (Rank Value of 2)—The into two basic categories: (A) the impacts of lost fishing gear presents a moderate the lost fishing gear on humans, animals and threat to human injury or loss of life. habitat and (B) the logistics, cost and impacts The lost gear is of a type and size or of removal: configured such that it may present an entangling threat to humans such as a A. Impacts to humans, animals and gillnet, purse seine net, rope, line or habitat monofilament fishing line and the gear is an area that may be reasonably 1. Threat to Human Safety occupied by humans (at depths Lost fishing gear can present a significant shallower than 200 ft and below the threat to human safety. Typically the greatest high tide line. threat of injury or death to people is from nets, ropes or monofilament fishing line High (Rank Value of 3)—The lost entangled at or below the surface of the water fishing gear presents a high level of in an area frequented by humans. Lost fishing threat to human injury or loss of life. gear above the high water line on the beach or The gear is of a type, size and below water depths frequented by divers (200 configuration such that it definitely ft) and certain types of gear such as crab pots presents an entangling threat to or lobster traps (without float lines) may offer humans such as a large free flowing little if any threat to human safety. gillnet, purse seine net, rope, line or monofilament fishing line and the lost The threat to human safety is ranked with gear is an area that is frequently three levels of relative threat: (1) low, (2) occupied by humans, e.g. a public moderate or (3) high. These relative threats beach below the high tide line are defined as: frequented swimmers or waders, popular sport diving locations or areas Low (Rank Value of 1)—The lost such as bridge structures that may fishing gear is unlikely to present a receive regular underwater inspections threat to human injury or loss of life. or maintenance. Either the gear is of a type unlikely to present a threat to a human such as a crab or shrimp pot without a float 2. Threat to Navigation line, the lost gear is located where Lost fishing gear can present a significant humans are unlikely to be present threat to vessels underway, mainly through (deep water over 200 ft deep) or entanglement of gear in propellers and where humans are highly unlikely to steering devices. Lost gear that is free floating become entangled and risk drowning or just below the surface can entangle passing vessels and cause loss of power or steering,

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 42 which can ground or sink a vessel and endanger the crew. Typically the greatest threat to vessel navigation is from nets, ropes 3. Aesthetics or monofilament fishing line located in or Although subjective in nature, aesthetic near normal traffic lanes. impacts of lost fishing gear can be significant, depending upon the nature and configuration The threat to vessel navigation is ranked with of the fishing gear and whether it is located in three levels of relative threat: (1) low, (2) an area frequented by humans. An example moderate or (3) high. These relative threats of a significant aesthetic impact might be a are defined as: gillnet or purse seine netting material entangled on rocks that are easily viewable Low —The lost fishing gear is unlikely from a heavily used public beach, county or to present a threat vessel navigation. state park, marine underwater park or near a Either the gear is of a type unlikely to ferry terminal. present a threat to navigation such as a crab or shrimp pot without a float The threat to aesthetics is ranked with three line, or the lost fishing gear is located levels of relative threat: (1) low, (2) moderate where vessels are unlikely to be or (3) high. These relative threats are defined present (deep water over 50 ft) or on a as: beach above the high tide line. Low—The lost fishing gear is unlikely Moderate —The lost fishing gear to present an aesthetic impact. The presents a moderate threat to vessel gear is not generally visible to the navigation. The gear is of a type and public, nor is it located in an area size or configured such that it may frequented by people. present an entangling threat to vessel navigation such as a gillnet, purse Moderate—The lost fishing gear seine net, rope, line or even presents a moderate aesthetic impact. monofilament fishing line and the lost The gear is of a type and size or gear is an area that may be reasonably configured so that it may present an occupied by a passing vessel such as aesthetic impact, if it is in an area that near the surface of water but the gear may be reasonably occupied by is not in a normal recreational or people, such a beach or dive area. commercial navigation traffic area. High—The lost fishing gear presents a High—lost fishing gear presents a high level of aesthetic impact. The high level of threat to vessel gear is of a type, size and navigation. The gear is of a type, size configuration such that it definitely and configuration such that it presents an aesthetic impact. definitely presents an entangling threat Examples include: a large free floating to vessels under navigation such as a or bundled net in an area that is large free flowing gillnet, purse seine frequently occupied by people, such as net, rope, line or monofilament fishing a public park, dive park or commonly line on or very near the surface and used area. the gear is an area that is frequently occupied by vessels such as designated navigation corridor or the entrance to a marina or popular anchorage.

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 43 4. Threat to Endangered or Protected threatened or protected species are Species known to live, and may present an In addition to threats posed by lost fishing obstruction to migration or result in gear to human safety and vessel navigation, unobserved mortality of endangered, the threat that derelict fishing gear presents to threatened or protected species (open species listed as endangered, threatened or waterways, beaches, etc.). protected is of great concern. Fishing gear, by its nature, is designed to catch specific marine High—The lost fishing gear presents a species. Lost fishing gear can continue to high level of threat to endangered, perform this harvesting function, and when threatened or protected species. The unattended can take a shape and form that gear is of a type, size and entangles and threatens many other species configuration such that it clearly other than those it was originally intended to presents the possibility of obstruction harvest, such as birds and marine mammal. of entanglement or entrapment, or Lost fishing gear can also alter habitat, or alter could obstruct feeding, breeding or or obstruct migration routes or breeding or migratiion, such as a large free floating feeding areas. These threats are particularly or loosely bundled net, or a tangle of serious for endangered, threatened or ropes, lines or monofilament fishing protected species. gear. The gear is located in an area known to be frequented by The threat to endangered or protected species endangered, threatened or protected is ranked with three levels of relative threat: species, such as near a river mouth or (1) low, (2) moderate or (3) high. These in a spawning, feeding or migratory relative threats are defined as: area.

Low—The lost fishing gear is unlikely to present a threat to endangered, 5. Threat to Other Species threatened or protected species. The Lost fishing gear may present a threat to a gear is not generally of a type or variety of species in the marine environment configuration that presents an other than those considered endangered, obstruction to migration or a source threatened or that are protected. Lost fishing of unobserved mortality. The gear is gear can continue its harvesting function and not located in area frequented by can take a shape and form that entangles and endangered, threatened or protected threatens many other species other than those species (i.e. buried in the substrate in the gear was intended to harvest. Lost fishing deep water). gear can provide an obstruction to migration routes, alter critical habitat, and/or become a Moderate—The lost fishing gear source of unobserved fishing mortality. presents a moderate threat to endangered, threatened or protected The threat to other species is ranked with species. The gear is of a type and size three levels of relative threat: (1) low, (2) or configured in such a way as to moderate or (3) high. These relative threats present a threat to such species, such are defined as: as a tightly compacted bundle of net or a concentration of ropes, lines or Low—The lost fishing gear is unlikely monofilament fishing line. The gear is to present a threat to other species. located in an area where endangered, The gear is not generally of a type (e.g.

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 44 a disabled crab or shrimp pot, a single impacts of lost gear on sensitive habitats may rope or line) or configuration that include: a net draped over a high relief rocky presents an entanglement or pinnacle that covers and prevents the use of entrapment hazard, an obstruction to hiding areas for juvenile fish and migration, or a loss of habitat. The invertebrates; nets or ropes that are constantly gear is not located in an area scouring across a substrate, removing sessile frequented by most species (i.e. buried organisms; or netting or pots or traps that in the substrate in deep water). block growth of eelgrass or other marine vegetation along a shoreline. Moderate—The lost fishing gear presents a moderate threat to other The threat to sensitive habitat is ranked with species. The gear is of a type and size three levels of relative threat: (1) low, (2) or configured such that it may present moderate or (3) high. These relative threats a threat to other species, such as a are defined as: tightly compacted bundle of net or a concentration of ropes, lines or Low —The lost fishing gear is unlikely monofilament fishing line. The gear is to present an impact to sensitive a located in area that may present an habitat. The gear is not generally of a obstruction to migration, loss of type or configuration that presents a habitat use or result in unobserved negative impact on sensitive habitat. mortality of species (open waterways, The gear is not located in areas of beaches, etc.). sensitive habitat (i.e. buried in the substrate in deep water). High—The lost fishing gear presents a high level of threat to other species. Moderate—The lost fishing gear The gear is of a type, size and presents a moderate threat to sensitive configuration such that it definitely habitat. The gear is of a type and size, presents the possibility of or configured in such a way that it entanglement, entrapment, may present a threat to a sensitive obstruction of migration, or loss of habitat, such as a panel of netting habitat use, such as a large free material, a crab or shrimp pot, or a flowing or loosely bundled gillnet, concentration of rope or line. The purse seine net, a tangle of ropes, lines gear is located in or near an area of or monofilament fishing gear. The sensitive habitat, such as a marine gear is located in an area known to be protected area, an Area of Special frequented by many species, such as Biological Significance (State Water near the surface, in shallow water, Resources Control Board) or a critical estuaries, feeding or spawning areas, (ESA) or essential fish (NMFS) etc. habitat.

6. Impacts on Sensitive Habitat High—The lost fishing gear definitely Lost fishing gear may have an indirect impact presents a high level of impact to a on species in the marine environment by sensitive habitat. The gear is of a type, impacted a sensitive habitat important to a size and configuration such that it particular species or a group of species. clearly impacts sensitive habitat, such Habitat impacts of lost fishing gear may be in as a large free floating and flagging or addition to, or in lieu of, direct impacts on loosely bundled gillnet, purse seine species through mortality. Examples of net, tangle of ropes, lines or

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 45 monofilament fishing gear. The gear is potential for negative environmental located in an area with sensitive impact. The gear is not located in habitat, in a marine protected area, an habitat that is likely to suffer a Area of Special Biological Signficance, negative environmental impact during or in critical (ESA) or essential fish removal. (NMFS) habitat). Moderate—The removal of the lost fishing gear may present some B. Logistics, cost and impact of removal. negative environmental impacts. The gear is of a type or configuration or in 1. Environmental Impacts of Removal a location such that its removal Although lost fishing gear may have a presents some negative environmental negative impact on humans, animals and impact, such as disruption of the habitat, the process of gear removal may also existing habitat or displacement or have a negative impact on the marine removal of encrusted or associated environment. This possible negative impact vegetation and organisms. of removal must be weighed against the environmental benefits to determine whether High—Removal of the lost fishing or not the lost fishing gear should be left in gear definitely presents a potentially place or removed and disposed. For example, high level of environmental impact. the removal of a crab pot that has been The gear is of a type or configuration disabled and is no longer capable of trapping or is in a location such that its removal animals and is nearly completely buried in an would have a clearly negative eelgrass bed may have a much greater negative environmental impact, such as fishing environmental impact (disruption of eelgrass gear that has long since become bed) than simply leaving the crab pot in place incorporated into the habitat through to naturally disintegrate over time. encrusting, or is buried in a sensitive, Additionally, a piece of lost fishing gear may important substrate habitat. be located in area where removal might re- suspend hazardous materials buried in the 2. Geographic Concentration substrate. A single piece of lost fishing gear in an area may have a definite but relatively small overall The potential for negative environmental environmental impact. If however, significant impact of removal is ranked with three levels numbers or quantity of lost fishing gear occur of relative threat: (1) low, (2) moderate or (3) in a given area, the overall environmental high. These relative threats are defined as: impacts may be magnified and warrant a higher removal priority. Low —The removal of the lost fishing gear is unlikely to present a negative The concentration of lost fishing gear items is environmental impact. The derelict ranked with three levels of relative threat: (1) gear is not generally of a type or low, (2) moderate or (3) high. These relative configuration, nor is in a location, threats are defined as: such that its removal will result in a negative environmental impact. For example, the removal of a completely Low —There is a relatively low exposed crab pot or a recently lost net concentration of lost fishing gear in that has not yet become incorporated the area. into the marine environment is of low

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 46 Difficult— The lost fishing gear is of Moderate— There is a relatively a type, condition and configuration moderate concentration of similar or that it presents a very difficult to near- other lost fishing gear in the vicinity impossible removal operation, such as of the reported gear unit. a large amount of entangled gillnet in deep water, or extremely heavy trawl High— There is a reported relatively gear. The removal operation requires high concentration of similar or other extensive planning, qualified lost fishing gear in the vicinity of the experienced personnel, training and reported gear unit. specialized equipment and/or vessels.

3. Feasibility of Removal Some lost fishing gear may be nearly 4. Cost of Removal impossible to safely and effectively remove, The cost of removing lost fishing gear may be depending upon the type and configuration of one important factor in prioritizing lost the gear, its location, depth and incorporation fishing gear removal and disposal. If a into the marine environment, and/or the particular fishing gear recovery program has availability of personnel, gear and equipment limited funds, cost of removal and disposal to conduct the removal and disposal may be an important consideration in operation. prioritizing derelict fishing gear removal. Estimating the cost of lost fishing gear The feasibility of lost fishing gear removal is removal and disposal is difficult without ranked with three levels of relative threat: (1) specific information on what methods and easy, (2) moderate or (3) difficult. These removal and disposal procedures are likely to relative threats are defined as: be used on a specific reported lost fishing gear, however, general appraisals of the Easy —The lost fishing gear is of a relative overall cost of lost fishing gear type, condition and configuration that removal can be determined in aid in selecting makes the feasibility of removal easy gear for removal. such as lightly entangled netting on a beach or crab pot without rope or The cost of lost fishing gear removal is ranked buoy in shallow water. Extensive with three levels of relative threat: (1) planning, equipment and personnel is inexpensive, (2) moderately expensive or (3) probably not required. very expensive. These relative threats are defined as: Moderate— The lost fishing gear is of a type, condition and configuration Inexpensive —The lost fishing gear is that it presents a moderately difficult of a type, condition and configuration removal operation, such as a small such that removal requires little in the amount of lightly entangled netting way of expense, such as small below the water surface or crab pots amounts of netting easily accessible on in moderate water depth. The a public or private beach. A minimum removal operation requires careful number of personnel and little to no planning, experience and specialized equipment is necessary, and the equipment. volume of lost fishing gear for disposal is low.

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 47

Moderately Expensive— The lost Although no formal policies for lost fishing fishing gear is of a type, condition and gear removal have been adopted by the State configuration that it presents a of California or the resource agencies moderately expensive removal involved in lost fishing gear removal, some operation, because it requires a diver policies are obvious. For example, lost fishing team to remove individual pots or gear that presents a significant threat to traps or nets from shallow water, or a human safety and is feasible to remove should large amount of netting or rope above have a relatively high priority for removal. the low tide line or on a beach. The Likewise, lost fishing gear that presents a removal and disposal operation may significant threat to an endangered, threatened require a team of personnel, tools and or sensitive species should also have a either a support vessel or vehicle for relatively high removal priority. However, disposal of a moderate volume of lost determining an overall relative priority for a gear. piece of lost fishing gear requires an analysis of more than one -- if not all -- criteria. For Expensive— The lost fishing gear is example, a piece of lost fishing gear might of a type, condition, configuration or threaten an endangered species, but be located location such that a relatively in an area where it may be impossible to effect expensive removal and disposal a successful removal, and therefore it may be operation is necessary, such as a deep assigned a relative low removal priority value. water diver team for removal of netting, or the use of remotely- The actual lost fishing gear selected for operated robotics to remove gear removal in any particular removal operation mechanically. The removal and will incorporate a variety of factors described disposal operation requires a in the prioritization criteria as well as other professional team of personnel, operational factors, such as the location of equipment, support vessels and the removal operation, the capabilities of the volume of removed gear may have removal and disposal team, the region of significant disposal costs. interest, etc. A beach removal operation may target several low priority lost fishing gears simply because of the limited operational II. Evaluating lost gear targets according capabilities of the removal team and the desire to criteria to confine the activity to a localized area. A full, experienced, professional dive removal The evaluation of criteria for the overall team with support vessels may select higher prioritization of removal and disposal of lost priority lost fishing gear that is more difficult fishing gear can be subjective, depending to remove. These guidelines provide a upon the importance placed on the different suggested approach to evaluating the impacts of the lost fishing gear, the impacts, importance of the different removal and difficulty and cost of removal, and the disposal criteria. capabilities of a particular removal operation. The prioritization criteria described above An approach to evaluating the relative provide a range of impact factors that can be importance of the lost fishing gear removal considered and evaluated against lost fishing criteria is to separate the criteria into two gear removal policies established for a long- groups: those criteria describing impacts to term removal program. humans, biota and habitat, and those criteria describing logistics of removal and disposal.

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 48 The evaluation of the first group of criteria include gear with moderate ranks for some involves assessing the degree of threat impacts to humans, biota and habitat criteria, presented by the lost fishing gear and the high ranks for others and would be gear that evaluation of the second group of criteria does not present impossible removal logistics involves assessing the difficulty and impact of or overwhelming environmental impacts of removing the lost fishing gear. The greater the removal. degree that the threat to humans, biota and habitat from the lost fishing gear exceeds the difficulty and/or The following criteria and rankings within impact of removal, the higher the priority of removal criteria would constitute a high removal and disposal: priority.

A. Highest Removal Priority Impacts to Humans, Biota and Habitat: In most cases, a combination of analyses of • Threat to human safety—moderate several criteria will be necessary to establish and/or an overall removal priority. The severity of • Hazard to navigation—moderate the threats to humans, biota and habitat from and/or the lost fishing gear will be compared to the • Aesthetics –high and/or difficulty, cost and environmental impacts of • Threat to endangered or protected removal. The highest removal priority should species—moderate and/or be applied to lost fishing gear that offers a • Threat to other species—high and/or high level of threat to human safety, • Impact on sensitive habitat— navigation, endangered, protected or sensitive moderate and species and on sensitive habitats, and that does not present impossible removal logistics, Removal Logistics: costs, or overwhelming environmental • Environmental impact of removal— impacts of removal. low or moderate and • Geographic concentration of derelict The following ranked criteria would constitute fishing gear—high or moderate and the highest removal priority: • Feasibility of removal—easy, moderate or difficult and • Cost of removal and disposal— Impacts to Humans, Biota and Habitat: inexpensive, moderate or expensive • Threat to human safety—High and/or • Hazard to navigation—High and/or C. Moderate Removal Priority • Threat to endangered or protected Lost fishing gear that presents a moderate species—High and/or removal priority would include gear with • Impact on sensitive habitat—High moderate ranks for some impacts to humans, and biota and habitat criteria, possibly low ranks for others, and would be gear that does not Removal Logistics: present difficult or impossible removal • Environmental impact of removal— logistics or high environmental impacts of Low and removal. • Feasibility of removal—Easy, Moderate, Difficult The following criteria and rankings within criteria would constitute a moderate removal B. High Removal Priority priority. Lost fishing gear that presents a high–though not the highest–removal priority would

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 49 Impacts to Humans, Biota and Habitat: Removal Logistics: • Threat to human safety—moderate or • Environmental impact of removal— low and/or moderate and • Hazard to navigation—moderate or • Geographic concentration of derelict low and/or fishing gear—moderate or low and • Aesthetics –high, moderate or low • Feasibility of removal—difficult and and/or • Cost of removal and disposal— • Threat to endangered or protected expensive species—moderate or low and/or • Threat to other species—high, E. Lowest Removal Priority moderate or low and/or Lost fishing gear that presents a lowest • Impact on sensitive habitat— removal priority would include gear with low moderate or low and ranks for all impacts to humans, biota and habitat criteria, and would be gear that may be Removal Logistics: difficult or expensive to remove, or might • Environmental impact of removal— significantly negatively impact the marine low or moderate and environment. Two of the logistics and • Geographic concentration of derelict removal impact criteria may be considered fishing gear—high, moderate or low determining criteria by themselves for the and lowest removal priority ranking: Under the • Feasibility of removal—easy or "Feasibility of Removal" criteria, if a moderate and determination is made that the reported and • Cost of removal and disposal— verified lost fishing gear is impossible to inexpensive or moderate remove given current technology, the gear should be assigned the lowest removal D. Low Removal Priority priority, at least until a feasible removal Lost fishing gear that presents a low removal methodology is identified. Likewise, if in priority would include gear with low or assessing the "Environmental Impact of moderate ranks for most impacts to humans, Removal" criteria, it is determined that the biota and habitat criteria, and would be gear lost fishing gear is located in an area where that would be difficult or expensive to removal would disturb hazardous substances remove, or for which removal would pose a in the sediment requiring state and/or federal moderate negative environmental impact. permits or other agency permission beyond that covered by the lost fishing gear removal The following criteria and rankings within program policies, then the lost fishing gear criteria would constitute a low removal should be assigned the lowest removal priority. priority.

Impacts to Humans, Biota and Habitat: The following criteria and rankings within • Threat to human safety—low and criteria would constitute a lowest removal • Hazard to navigation—low and priority. • Aesthetics – moderate or low and • Threat to endangered or protected Impacts to Humans, Biota and Habitat: species—low and • Threat to human safety—low and • Threat to other species—moderate or • Hazard to navigation—low and low and • Aesthetics – moderate or low and • Impact on sensitive habitat—low and

CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 50 • Threat to endangered or protected species—low and Removal Logistics: • Threat to other species—moderate or Environmental impact of removal—high low and or impossible. • Impact on sensitive habitat—low and/or

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CA Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Policies & Procedures – REVISED May 2009 51