Pots/Traps

Northern Pacific Ocean

Pots and traps are set on the seafloor and attached to the surface with a buoy line. For many fisheries, a string of multiple traps are deployed in a trawl, which has a buoy line on each end. Pot and trap fisheries typically target crustaceans or groundfish.

Target Species

Dungeness Crab

Groundfish

King Crab

Snow Crab

Bycatch Species

Marine Mammals

Sea Turtles

Solutions

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Gears and Best Practices

Ropeless (On-Demand) Pot/Trap Systems

Ropeless (On-Demand) pot/trap systems are designed to be deployed without surface buoy lines in the water column and therefore nearly entirely reduce the risk of entanglement for ETP species. Most of these systems utilize an acoustic release device that can be activated from the boat which will either release a buoy line or inflate a float bag attached to the pots/traps in the water. The pots/traps can then be retrieved by fishers.

Fishery Type

Pots/Traps

Ocean Region

Northern Atlantic Ocean, Northern Pacific Ocean

Target Species

Dungeness Crab, Snow Crab, Groundfish, American Lobster

Bycatch Species

Marine Mammals

Gears and Best Practices

Smart Buoys

Smart buoys provide constant location information so that gear can be tracked remotely, which helps fishers locate gear if it has come loose or moved in a storm. Importantly, it also can alert fishers when buoy lines are being dragged, for example provide continuous real-time location data of entangled whales which would greatly increase disentanglement success.

Fishery Type

Gillnets, Longline, Pots/Traps, Purse Seine

Ocean Region

Indian Ocean, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Northern Pacific Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean, Southern Atlantic Ocean

Target Species

Atlantic Cod, Hake, American Lobster, Tuna

Bycatch Species

Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, Seabirds, Sharks and Rays

Gears and Best Practices

Weak Inserts, Weak Rope

Pots and traps fisheries use buoy lines (high-strength ropes) attached to pots and traps to mark gear on the ocean bottom. Buoy lines that extend from the trap on the seafloor to the surface sometimes cause marine mammals and sea turtles to become entangled often leading to severe injury or death.

Fishery Type

Pots/Traps

Ocean Region

Northern Atlantic Ocean, Northern Pacific Ocean

Target Species

American Lobster, Dungeness Crab, Groundfish, Snow Crab

Bycatch Species

Marine Mammals

Funding Opportunities

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Fisheries

Pots/Traps

Species Impacted

Marine Mammals

Target Species

Snow Crab

Description

The CanFISH Gear Lending program is a fisheries assistance program that provides ropeless systems free of charge to fishers in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia, Canada, during temporary closures designed to protect North Atlantic Right Whales. Through this service, CanFISH is protecting the Canadian crab fishing industry and the snow crab harvester’s way of life, while promoting safe fishing methods for the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW).

This funding opportunity will provide essential assistance to the CanFISH program by supporting operational costs, specifically for monitoring gear sets, training, servicing and transportation of gear, storage and overhead costs so more ropeless systems can get to fishermen in the 2024 snow crab season.

Beneficiary: Canadian Wildlife Federation

Program Operational Support $60,000

Fisheries

Pots/Traps

Species Impacted

Marine Mammals

Target Species

Jonah Crab, American Lobster

Description

This funding opportunity provided equipment to the NEFSC gear library to fully outfit 6 vessels for ropeless fishing. This includes 2 ropeless systems (MOBI units), a deck box transducer, and gear tracking software for each vessel.

North Atlantic right whales (NARW) are the world’s most critically endangered large whale species, with less than 350 animals alive today. The threat to whales is the line of rope that extends from the trap on the seafloor to the buoy on the surface; whales are not able to detect this thin line, and can swim into it, becoming entangled. Ropeless, on-demand fishing technologies offer a solution by removing buoy lines from the water column except when gear is actively retrieved.

NOAA has a “gear library” program that accepts donations of ropeless gear for fishermen to pilot and test. It is critical for fishermen to participate in gear trials to develop systems that operate efficiently in challenging oceanographic conditions. Participating in pilot projects will also begin to get fishermen more comfortable with the gear, and give them the ability to provide feedback to customize the gear.

Beneficiary: NEFSC On-Demand Gear Library

Ropeless Gear Donation: $83,250 Funded

The Problem

Buoy lines that stretch from the seafloor to the surface sometimes entangle large whales and are difficult to remove. If entangled around the mouth, whales can starve, and the extra drag around the body often leads to deep lacerations and eventual death.