Derelict fishing nets in Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits: Patterns and threats to marine fauna

Derelict fishing gear remains in the marine environment for years, entangling, and killing marine organisms worldwide. Since 2002, hundreds of derelict nets containing over 32,000 marine animals have been recovered from Washington’s inland waters. Analysis of 870 gillnets found many were derelict fo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine pollution bulletin 2010-01, Vol.60 (1), p.39-50
Main Authors: Good, Thomas P., June, Jeffrey A., Etnier, Michael A., Broadhurst, Ginny
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Applied ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Birds
Derelict fishing gear
Ecotoxicology
Exploitation and management of natural biological resources (hunting, fishing and exploited populations survey, etc.)
Fish
Fisheries - instrumentation
Fishing
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Geography
Gillnets
Invertebrates
Invertebrates - classification
Invertebrates - physiology
Mammals
Marine
Marine Biology
Mortality
Northwest Straits
Organisms
Puget Sound
Recovery
Risk Assessment
Species of concern
Time Factors
Vertebrates - classification
Vertebrates - physiology
Washington
Water Pollutants - adverse effects
Water Pollutants - toxicity
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Summary:Derelict fishing gear remains in the marine environment for years, entangling, and killing marine organisms worldwide. Since 2002, hundreds of derelict nets containing over 32,000 marine animals have been recovered from Washington’s inland waters. Analysis of 870 gillnets found many were derelict for years; most were recovered from northern Puget Sound and high-relief rocky habitats and were relatively small, of recent construction, in good condition, stretched open, and in relatively shallow water. Marine organisms documented in recovered gillnets included 31,278 invertebrates (76 species), 1036 fishes (22 species), 514 birds (16 species), and 23 mammals (4 species); 56% of invertebrates, 93% of fish, and 100% of birds and mammals were dead when recovered. For all taxa, mortality was generally associated with gillnet effectiveness (total area, age and condition, and suspension in the water). Mortality from derelict fishing gear is underestimated at recovery and may be important for species of economic and conservation concern.
ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.09.005