Debris Removal from Inhabited and Uninhabited Islands

general description:

Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) poses serious environmental impacts on island communities and their surrounding marine areas. These islands often serve as repositories for lost fishing gear and can be difficult environments for both onshore and at-sea removal. The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF) is collaborating with the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) under the Southern New England Program (SNEP) Watershed Improvement Grant. This is a two-year program to assess, remove, and dispose of marine debris on and around southern New England Islands.  The islands we will be focusing on include Block Island, Cuttyhunk, Martha's Vineyard, Nomans Island, and Aquinnah Island, where high concentrations of marine debris wash ashore. CFRF’s role is focused on at sea removal of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear around these islands.

We will execute at-sea removal surveys around these Islands over the next two years, working from local commercial fishing vessels and using fishermen's knowledge and data from side-scan sonar surveys conducted by CCS. Removals will be organized and conducted in accordance with best-practice protocols, using single- or multiple-grapple systems, depending on the target. In tandem with at-sea removals, CCS will conduct beach cleanups with community involvement to assess, remove, document, and properly dispose of marine debris found on and around the islands. This includes fishing gear, plastics, and other trash. The results of this project will be significantly cleaner shorelines, decreased obstruction from derelict fishing gear in and around these islands, and increased awareness and stewardship among all participants.

Overall Project Goals:

1. Identify areas of concern (both on shore and underwater)

2. Plan large-scale debris removal operations, and

3. Engage hundreds of participants over two years to fulfill the project.

CFRF Objectives:

1. Collaborate with CCS to identify areas where fishing gear can be safely recovered, utilizing data from side-scan sonar surveys conducted by CCS and incorporating fishermen's local knowledge.

2. Execute 6 at-sea removal surveys.

3. Collect and disseminate metrics from retrieved gear (Effort, location, depth, substrate, gear type, gear condition, tag (permit) numbers, species in gear (alive or dead), amount and type of biofouling, and status of ghost panel/ biovents)

4. Integrate the project into CFRF community outreach.

Project Team:

This Project is Supported By:

Southern New England Program (SNEP) Watershed Improvement Grant.