Ghost Pot Retrieval

Researchers Kirk Havens, Kory Angstadt, and Dave Stanhope of the Center for Coastal Resources Management at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science retrieve a derelict crab pot from Chesapeake Bay. Ongoing research at VIMS funded through NOAA's 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:

• VIMS
• marine debris
• ghost pots
• crab pots
• derelict
• NOAA
• CCRM

[VIMSVideo]

VIMS researchers measure and identify everything and then release the organisms back into the water. This is in conformance with the requirement by Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) that all bycatch is released.

[Honda16Kelly]

Do you keep the crab and fish out of the pots or do you toss them back?