Solutions

Fishery Improvement Project

GOSAF Snow Crab FIP

The Gulf of St-Lawrence Allied Fisheries (GOSAF) snow crab FIP addresses bycatch issues that result from interactions between pot/trap buoy lines and large cetaceans, particularly the North Atlantic Right Whale.

Fishery Type

Pots/Traps

Ocean Region

Northern Atlantic Ocean

Target Species

Snow Crab

Bycatch Species

Marine Mammals

Fishery Improvement Project

Jonah Crab Gear Innovation Project

The Jonah Crab GIP is a group of fishers and representatives in the seafood industry trialling ropeless gear in real fishing conditions in the U.S. Jonah crab fishery off the eastern seaboard.

Fishery Type

Pots/Traps

Ocean Region

Northern Atlantic Ocean

Target Species

Jonah Crab

Bycatch Species

Marine Mammals

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