Connect with us
background

Marine Life & Conservation

Crab Pot Project Gets a Thumbs Up

Published

on

As a busy-body pelican landed nearby to watch, Manteo crabber Troy Outland pulled his 32-foot Manning boat astride a barnacle-covered chunk of white buoy while mate Derek Thacker pulled it from Croatan Sound.

“That one’s been there for a while,” Outland said, eyeing the dripping remnant of a crab pot.

The line was slimy with algae and grass and attached to the rusted remains of the pot’s metal bottom frame. Bingo: A derelict pot. Thacker wound up the line and stashed it at the stern. Outland recorded identifying information, time and location and started his motor to look for more.

So began day one of the N.C. Coastal Federation’s two-year pilot project to collect lost or discarded fishing gear littering waterways in north eastern North Carolina.

Outland, a full-time crabber for 37 years, was one of nine watermen hired to scour the waters for two days last week, coming behind the annual cleanup done by the N.C. Marine Patrol.

“You don’t really make a lot of money, after fuel costs,” he said. “I’m doing it because I think it’s a good project.”

By the time the first phase wrapped up at week’s end, surprisingly little debris was found by the watermen. Still, the effort, the first of its kind in North Carolina, achieved what it was designed to do: Bring watermen, regulators, and conservationists together for the benefit of the resource they all share.

“Overall, we were astounded that we didn’t see more pots,” said Willy Phillips, owner of Full Circle Crab Co. in Columbia. “That was a real revelation to us.”

Phillips, who has been crabbing in North Carolina waters since the 1980s, said that the lack of big storms in recent years is one likely reason that more crab pots were not found after two days scouring parts of the Pamlico, Roanoke, Croatan, Albemarle and Currituck sounds, the Alligator River and Kitty Hawk Bay.

Also, with the increasing cost of crab pots, he said, crabbers have become more diligent about retrieving their gear. When he was crabbing in the 1980s, Phillips said, pots cost about $6.50 each. Now they each cost about $45.  And pots are not made to last as long as they once did, so they deteriorate quicker – as soon as two years.

“Back in the day, there was a lot more gear left out,” Phillips said. “It was just that there weren’t as many people out there to keep track of it.”

pots-phillips

Willy Phillips

pots-bayliss

Ladd Bayliss

 

As long as there are pots put in the water, one way or another, some will end up disappearing, being abandoned, tossed adrift by hurricanes or even stolen.

Plucking lost or orphaned crab pots out of the water is a lot more challenging than it sounds. The remnants of buoys can be indistinguishable from a bird or a whitecap on the water. Gear is often buried or tangled. Phillips explained that in bad weather, the buoys start “corkscrewing” and are eventually pulled under the water. Then over time, he said, the buoys will slowly “unkink” themselves.

Other pots, perhaps taken away by a storm or cut by boat propellers, are often found with their lines twisted around bridge pilings.

“When I started here nine years ago, we picked up roughly 10,000 pots that were out in the sound between Jan. 15 and Jan. 24,” said Sgt. Odell Williams, who works the southern half of the northern district of the N.C. Marine Patrol – half of Hyde and Dare counties. “Every year it has gone down – the last several years significantly.”

This year, he said, the patrol probably picked up less than 300 pots.

By law, crab pots must be out of the water from Jan. 15 through Feb. 7, but the water can be opened after Jan. 19 if few pots are found.

Williams said he attributes the steady decrease in orphaned and derelict gear to better Marine Patrol enforcement and more cooperation from watermen. When officers find a pot, they look for the tag that identifies the owner. If they find it, they will usually call the crabber to come fetch his pots. Otherwise, a court order must be obtained to have them destroyed.

Less often, Williams said, a ticket is issued to the crabber, who would be facing over $200 in fines and court costs. “Storms come in; fishermen lose their pots,” he said. “We try to be respectful to the fishermen. Everybody does not deserve a ticket.”

Williams said that throughout the planning and implementation of the project, the relationship between marine law enforcement, the watermen and the federation has been “excellent.”

“We’ve really enjoyed working with them,” Williams said.  “We’ve gotten along great.”

The genesis for the project came from the successful marine debris program launched several years ago in the Chesapeake Bay. By 2012, tens of thousands of derelict crab and peeler pots in Virginia and Maryland waters had been collected.

Volunteers unearth a crab pot from the beach. Photo: Sara Mirabilio

Volunteers unearth a crab pot from the beach. Photo: Sara Mirabilio

Although the Chesapeake program was the inspiration for the federation project, it was expected that it would need to be tailored to the different conditions in northeastern N.C. waters, said Ladd Bayliss, the coastal advocate in the federation’s Manteo office.

“I think in certain areas, we’ve got more tide, we’ve got more wind, we’re generally shallower,” she said. “It’s not apples to apples.”

pots-thumbsup-300

John Bayliss is happy about his find.

Some boats were equipped with side-scan sonar, the first time the technology was put to work in North Carolina to find pots. Over the course of the project, Bayliss said, it became evident that the same protocol and retrieval methods employed in the Chesapeake were not appropriate in N.C. waters.

Out of the 30 or so crabbers who applied to work on the cleanup, Bayliss said, nine of them were hired to do the collection.  Boat captains were paid $300 a day and deck hands $100.

The second year of the pilot project, funded with a $35,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an $18,000 grant from North Carolina Sea Grant and $10,000 in matching funds, will be conducted in the same time period next year.

In the meantime, the lessons learned from this year will be used to make the collection process more effective and efficient in 2015.

“I feel like this time we were able to get a collaborative group of people together to get the mechanics worked out,” Phillips said. “We were on the same page.”

A marine debris program has been talked about in North Carolina for a long time, he said. But until last year, opposition and suspicion never allowed such a project to get beyond fits and starts.

“What I think is the star achievement of the grant is that the fishermen are actively collecting data,” Phillips said, referring mostly to by-catch found in crab cages.

Fishermen have been gun-shy about providing that data because of the perception that in the past they’ve been burned by increased regulations.

Phillips, a former member of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission, said that N.C. watermen have always contended that by-catch is not significant down here compared with Virginia.  But without the data, there’s no way to prove it.

A less obvious gain from the project is the positive experience of working cooperatively in a conservation effort that benefits all involved and serves the better good, Phillips said. It also shows that fishermen don’t just take from the public resource, as critics charge, but are willing to give back, he said.

“It’s an image-changer in the public’s eye,” Phillips said. “I really hope it will continue and expand.”

Article courtesy of www.nccoast.org

For more information on Ghost Fishing, visit https://www.facebook.com/ghostfishing

Catherine Kozak has been a reporter and writer on the Outer Banks since 1995. She worked for 15 years for "The Virginian Pilot." Born and raised in the suburbs outside New York City, Catherine earned her journalism degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz. During her career, she has written about dozens of environmental issues, including oil and gas exploration, wildlife habitat protection, sea level rise, wind energy production, shoreline erosion and beach nourishment. She lives in Nags Head.

Marine Life & Conservation

New report shows simple measures needed to cut beach plastic pollution

Published

on

beach

The Marine Conservation Society has launched its annual State of our Beaches 2023 report, highlighting the need for less single-use plastic items and more refillable options.

The charity’s beach cleaning programme, now in its 30th year, asks volunteers to record all litter that they find within a 100-metre stretch of beach. By gathering vital data from across the UK and Channel Islands, the charity creates change for cleaner seas and a healthier planet through policy and industry change. Last year, over 148 kilometres of beach were surveyed by volunteers, who removed 17,208kgs of litter from our coast.

Using data collected by over 14,000 volunteers, the State of our Beaches 2023 report shows that half of all litter collected came from public sources – either dumped, blown or washed onto our beaches.

Drinks-related litter, such as plastic bottles, caps and cans were one of the most found items, with an average of 16 found per 100 metres of beach surveyed. This figure is up 14% compared to the charity’s 2022 report.

Plastics caps and lids were recorded on 89% of surveys, with over 30,000 found in total. Plastic bottles were also commonly collected, with 73% of surveys finding this single-use item – a 4% increase compared to 2022. The charity’s inland litter pick survey, Source to Sea, also reported finding plastic bottles on 92% of cleans.

However, the charity’s State of Our Beaches 2023 report also indicates that some types of litter are on a downward trend. Although still in the top 10 litter items, disposable plastic cutlery, trays and straws were found on 5% fewer beaches across the UK, showing that bans on these plastic items between 2022 – 2023 could be working. The presence of plastic cotton bud sticks also dropped by 14%.

Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said, “Half of the litter found on our beaches originates from public sources, underscoring the pressing issue of single-use plastic. Evidence shows that refillable alternatives and litter return schemes effectively reduce rubbish, as demonstrated by the decline our data has shown in items like plastic bags and disposable cutlery.

“Urgent and decisive action from UK governments is needed to accelerate our shift towards a circular economy, where we reuse, repair and recycle. The public needs greater access to refillable products and systems need to be implemented in which manufacturers are responsible for their waste.”

Governments across the UK have committed to delivering deposit return schemes from October 2025. However, the proposed scheme in England does not include glass items, despite glass being found on 52% of beaches in 2023. The charity is calling for governments across the UK to introduce compatible all inclusive deposit return schemes as soon as possible. This would see aluminium cans, and plastic and glass bottles have a 20p deposit which would be returned when recycled which would reduce drinks-related pollution.

Businesses are, however, starting to take refillable and reusable options into their own hands. Supermarket chain, Aldi, the largest corporate funder of the charity’s 2024 Beachwatch programme, is already leading the charge in refillable items by trialling refillable options for cereals and porridge oats in their stores over the past 5 months.

Plastics and Packaging Director, Luke Emery, from Aldi, who are running 4 beach cleans for staff and volunteers in 2024, said, We are continually working to reduce single-use plastics and packaging, and making unpackaged product options more commonplace for our customers is a key part of this. We are really pleased with the uptake of our refillable range so far by customers. Not only are we making sustainable shopping more accessible, but we also offer refill products for a better price than the packaged alternative, helping our customers save money.”

Marine litter is one of the biggest threats to our seas, with plastic breaking down over time into microplastics and threatening marine life which can ingest or become entangled in them. The Marine Conservation Society is urging the UK Government to move faster on its policies to cut down plastic waste and prevent items from reaching our seas.

To find out more about the charity’s beach cleans and how to get involved, please visit mcsuk.org/beach-cleans

Continue Reading

Blogs

Guarding Against Coral Invaders

Published

on

coral

Protecting (Dutch) Caribbean Reefs from Unomia stolonifera

Recent reports highlight the concerning spread of the invasive soft coral, Unomia stolonifera, currently devastating Venezuela’s marine ecosystems and detected in Cuba. With the potential threat of its expansion to the (Dutch) Caribbean islands, urgent action and awareness are essential to safeguard marine biodiversity and local economies from possible catastrophic consequences.

Invasive species are animals or plants from another region of the world that don’t belong in their new environment. These species can have major ecological effects by decimating native flora or fauna. They can also cause large economic losses and impact human health. Invasive species also pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems worldwide, including the Dutch Caribbean. Among these invaders is the octocoral species Unomia stolonifera or “Pulsing Xenia”, originally from the Indo-Pacific. With its rapid growth and lack of natural predators, this species can outcompete native species and disrupt fragile marine habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs.

Background

The invasive soft coral U. stolonifera was first identified in 2014, off the coast of Venezuela. It is believed to have been introduced via the illegal aquarium trade.  Since this species can reproduce sexually and asexually (or fragment), even small pieces can regenerate to spread.  Once introduced it quickly took over shallow reefs and hard substrate at depths of 0-50 meters, outcompeting local corals and seagrass for space.  Follow on surveys found that this coral species exhibited average percentage cover as high as 80%, vastly outcompeting native corals. In highly colonized areas, fish are disappearing due to loss of habitats.

In 2022, during a survey conducted in Cuba by the University of Havana, an unknown octocoral was discovered which was later identified as the invasive Unomia stolonifera. It is suspected that the coral larvae arrived in ballast water from fossil fuel ships originating from Venezuela, as nearby sites adjacent to Venezuelan ports have been heavily affected by the invasion.

How to help

Prevention through continuous monitoring, particularly in high-risk areas such as marine harbors and oil facilities, is paramount. Early detection plays a pivotal role in mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera.

The public’s involvement and awareness are also vital. Local communities, recreational divers, tourists, and all stakeholders are urged to participate in early detection efforts by reporting sightings (photo, location and date) of this invasive coral to their respective Protected Area Management Organization (PMO’s)- the Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba (FPNA)STINAPA BonaireCARMABI Curaçao Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF)Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSXM) and St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA). If an invaded area is confirmed, follow the recommendations by the local PMO’s.

Keys to Success

Despite the challenges, early detection is key to mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera. With continued vigilance, research, and community engagement, there is hope for containing this potential issue before it becomes a major threat.

About the DCNA

The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) supports (science) communication and outreach in the Dutch Caribbean region by making nature related (scientific) information more widely available through amongst others the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database, DCNA’s news platform BioNews and through the press. This article contains the results from several scientific studies but the studies themselves are not DCNA studies. No rights can be derived from the content. DCNA is not liable for the content and the in(direct) impacts resulting from publishing this article.

Continue Reading

E-Newsletter Sign up!

Experience the Red Sea in May with Bella Eriny Liveaboard! As the weather warms up, there’s no better time to dive into the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea. Join us on Bella Eriny, your premier choice for Red Sea liveaboards, this May for an unforgettable underwater adventure. Explore vibrant marine life and stunning coral reefs Enjoy comfortable accommodation in our spacious cabins Savor delicious meals prepared by our onboard chef Benefit from the expertise of our professional dive guides Visit our website for more information and to secure your spot: www.scubatravel.com/BellaEriny or call 01483 411590 More Less

Instagram Feed

Popular