Testing Underwater Video Technology for Ghost Gear Removal in Narragansett Bay
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Discarded or lost fishing gear left in the marine environment, Ghost Gear, is a global threat to ocean health as abandoned fishing gear continues to catch animals. Over 640,000 metric tons of fishing gear may be lost globally every year. This has ecological and economic consequences that undermine sustainable fishery management. Though the impact of ghost gear on Narraganset Bay ecology is unknown, there are hot spots of ghost gear within the bay and the general negative effects of such gear build up on the seafloor is well documented. Engaging fishers in the process of removing ghost gear has been used successfully in several projects. These projects largely remove ghost gear through dragging grapples or by SCUBA diving. Dragging a grapple through a general area has a risk of ecological damage, especially in shallow near-shore waters with seagrass. Diving eliminates this environmental risk, but requires specialized training, increasing costs, and human risk.
This project will attempt to develop an additional tool for ghost gear removal. A map of ghost gear hot spots within Narraganset Bay, Rhode Island will be created from interviews with fishers. Once the sites are identified they will be visited using a commercial fishing vessel as a research platform. A live-feed underwater camera will be used to find fish pots and traps and direct targeted grappling efforts to remove the gear. Any gear retrieved will be disposed of in a Fishing for Energy disposal bin located in Point Judith or Newport.
Ghost gear locations in Narragansett Bay from interviews with seven fishermen. The black areas are where more than one fisherman identified it as an area with ghost gear.
For an interactive map with images CLICK HERE
In the summer of 2021, Charlie Enright of the 11th Hour Racing Team took an excursion out on his local waters of Narragansett Bay with the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation onboard the fishing vessel Christopher Andrew to learn about the problems ghost gear causes for local habitats and commercial fishermen. The video above is of that June 28, 2021 ghost gear survey.
PROJECT GOALS:
Identify and create a map of ghost gear hot spots within Narragansett Bay using fisher knowledge.
Provide visual documentation of ghost gear in Narragansett Bay
Evaluate the use of underwater video as a method to advance ghost gear removal efforts
Link project results to a global database of lost or abandoned fishing gear
Share project results and ghost gear impact information with the local fishing community and general public.
cfrf PROJECT TEAM:
Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF)
N. David Bethoney
Susan Inglis - email: singlis@cfrfoundation.org
Commercial Fishermen:
GHOST GEAR MAPPING - captains:
Joe Baker
Al Eagles
Jeff Grant
Dennis Ingram
Jon Kourtesis
Kenny Murgo
Derek Pascale
Todd Sutton
Partnerships:
Project Outreach:
To see the presentations from the webinar please see below:
Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQO-OjpkCEI&ab_channel=GlobalGhostGearInitiative
