CFRF Ghost Gear Removal Program
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), also known as ghost gear, can have wide-ranging impacts on our marine environment. From ecological damage to safety hazards and economic losses, ghost gear has become an issue with many potential consequences.
Ghost gear is a problem that extends along the New England coast. In Rhode Island’s 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 to both commercial fishing and recreational boating and diving activities.
Ghost gear is an issue that requires an engaged public and a coordinated stakeholder effort. CFRF has methodically worked to identify Rhode Island waters impacted by ghost gear and develop a removal plan with the input and support of other ghost gear removal programs, local stakeholder groups, educational institutions, and state agencies . Retrieving lost fishing gear can be time-consuming and hazardous, but with training and a system in place to retrieve and recycle or dispose of unwanted ghost gear, commercial fishermen can be at the front line of reducing the problem.
Learn More About Our Removal Efforts:
The CFRF has established ghost gear removal programs for both inshore state waters and offshore federal waters. Check out the pages below to learn more about each of these efforts.
Learn about our inshore ghost gear removal program in Narragansett Bay here!