Cull Ring allows small crabs to escape crab pot

Research by Dr. Kirk Havens of the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) shows that relocating cull rings from the side wall of a crab pot to the floor of the upper chamber increases the likelihood of escape by 39 times. Cull rings allow crabs below legal size to escape harvest. Haven's research is part of a larger project to develop panels designed to degrade through time, thus reducing the amount of time that derelict crab pots continue to "fish." Ongoing research at VIMS funded through NOAAs Marine Debris Program suggests roughly 20% of all the crab pots set in a year are lost due to storms or boat propellers that accidentally cut the pots free from their buoys. These "ghost pots" continue to trap crabs, fish, eels, turtles, and other organisms. Each functional ghost pot can capture and kill about 50 crabs a year.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• marine debris
• crab pots
• ghost pots
• cull rings
• VIMS research

[mijnnaamisaaron]

Pretty smart