Significance

• Crab pots are loaded onto the deck of a West Coast crabber.crab,fishing image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
  
  Heavily fished coastal areas around the country are littered with ghost pots. These pots keep catching crab and other marine life from mussels to fin fish to the occasional marine mammal. Lost pots change the topography of the bottom and pose a problem for fishermen and other mariners.
  
  

Prevention

• Stormy crabbing weather on the West Coast causes lots of equipment loss.dungeness crab image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
  
  Derelict pots affect the fisheries and harm local marine life. To reduce the effects of ghost pots, the industry uses biodegradable twine to close the pots. Metal hooks tied with the twine latch the crab pot lid shut. The twine disintegrates over time and releases the lid allowing the crab to escape. Crab pots are built with escape rings, as well. The rings allow the crab to slip through. Crabbers thread biodegradable twine across the rings during the fishery, so the intended catch does not escape. Some pots also have biodegradable bottom panels.
  
  

Solution

• This crab float is made sinkable to keep it clear of boats' propellers.foam fishing float image by Brett Mulcahy from Fotolia.com
  
  Derelict pot removal programs are in place in several of the nation's coastal areas. These programs pinpoint heavily fished areas and combine the efforts of several groups, including the Coast Guard,NOAA, states' departments of fish and wildlife, and commercial fishing groups, to retrieve lost pots. Washington state has a lost gear reporting program that maps lost gear along the Northwest coast. Diving and sweeping the ocean floor for pots are two methods of retrieval. The state of Virginia uses sidesweep sonar to detect abandoned pots.
  
  

• Several states fine crabbers if they don't have all of their gear out of the water immediately following the fishing season. Some coastal states provide funding for retrieval of lost pots. In Washington state, one group attempts to retrieve lost pots and nets from heavily fished areas.