NorthwestNorthwest StraitsStraits InitiativeInitiative DerelictDerelict FishingFishing GearGear ProjectProject Puget Sound •• LongLong historyhistory ofof fishingfishing •• LotsLots ofof rockyrocky habitatshabitats •• FjordFjord--likelike estuaryestuary •• BiologicallyBiologically richrich ecosystemecosystem •• AndAnd…… aa legacylegacy ofof fishingfishing geargear DerelictDerelict FishingFishing GearGear ConcernsConcerns HumanHuman safetysafety MarineMarine lifelife MarineMarine habitatshabitats PropertyProperty damagedamage EconomicEconomic impactsimpacts DerelictDerelict FishingFishing GearGear •• GillGill netsnets –– tribaltribal andand nonnon--tribaltribal (small(small numbernumber ofof pursepurse seineseine nets)nets) •• CrabCrab PotsPots –– tribaltribal andand nonnon--tribaltribal (small(small numbernumber ofof shrimpshrimp pots)pots) SideSide--scanscan SonarSonar SurveySurvey • NetNet ImpactsImpacts NetsNets catchcatch marinemarine lifelife indiscriminatelyindiscriminately NetsNets damagedamage marinemarine habitatshabitats throughthrough scouringscouring andand smotheringsmothering EvenEven netsnets thatthat areare onon thethe seabedseabed capturecapture andand killkill aa varietyvariety ofof marinemarine lifelife OneOne Gillnet,Gillnet, OneOne WeekWeek AugustAugust ‘‘0606 Common Name Alive Dead Red Rock Crab 10 30 Kelp Crab 12 38 Spiny Dogfish Shark 0 30 Sockeye Salmon 0 25 Chinook Salmon 0 5 Rockfish Unid. 0 30 Kelp Greenling 0 40 Harbor Seal 0 1 Flatfish Unid. 0 90 Spotted Ratfish 0 110 Lingcod 0 30 DerelictDerelict PotPot ImpactsImpacts AverageAverage 6.26.2 crabscrabs perper potpot oror overover 7474 crabscrabs perper potpot perper yearyear (about(about 150150 lbslbs ofof crab)crab) PotsPots alsoalso causecause scouringscouring NetNet RemovalsRemovals • 730 nets removed (112,310 lbs) • 203 acres of net covering 173 acres of habitat •134 days of diver time on nets NetNet RemovalsRemovals 730 nets removed (112,310 lbs) 203 acres of net covering 173 acres of habitat 20 dead marine mammals 332 dead sea birds 22,587 dead invertebrates 974 live and dead fish Crab Pot Removals • 1293 derelict crab pots removed (31,000 lbs) • 1829 crab and other animals found alive • 395 animals found dead • 37% of pots still actively fishing WhereWhere dodo wewe gogo fromfrom here?here? • Remove 90% of derelict fishing gear from Puget Sound by 2012 • Raise about $4.5 million • www.nwstraits.org.