Initiating the Removal of Ghost Gear from Rhode Island Waters
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Rhode Island has an active commercial and recreational fishery, and fishermen have reported thousands of abandoned traps and piles of ghost gear near Rhode Island fishing ports and coastal waters. To explore this issue, we first mapped ghost gear locations using fishermen’s knowledge and underwater video cameras in Narragansett Bay. This initial project revealed the extent of the problem. In Narragansett Bay, ghost gear is often caught in trawl nets and discarded at the end of trawl lines, damaging fishing nets and leaving piles of abandoned gear in channels. Other ghost gear hotspots in Rhode Island are located around islands popular for commercial fishing, recreational boating, and diving activities.
After mapping ghost gear hotspots, we created a plan to remove ghost gear from Rhode Island waters. This project implemented the plan to help reduce ghost gear in Narragansett Bay.
Project GOALS:
Assign project steering committee
At-sea ghost gear removal training for fishermen
Ghost gear removal and disposal guided by Narragansett Bay hot spot map
Dissemination of data collected from retrieved gear
Project evaluation
CFRF PROJECT TEAM:
Susan Inglis - Project Lead
Tori Thomas
Jack Moore
N David Bethoney
Project Results
The project concluded in 2024. In 2023, 6 half-day surveys were conducted across 3 vessels, and we successfully removed 98 ghost traps and other metal debris, comprising approximately 4,000 lbs. of scrap metal and 700 lbs. of rope. In 2024, we conducted 5 removal surveys across 5 vessels, and we removed 191 ghost traps, as well as cable and debris equivalent to 5,800 pounds of scrap metal and 1,000 pounds of rope.
Read the full final report here!
media
Check out this feature by WPRI - ‘4K Pounds of Ghost Gear Removed From Narragansett Bay’!
Watch the video below to see some of our removal efforts in 2023!
