Documenting Species Impacts From Entanglement in Derelict Fishing Nets in the U.S. Salish Sea Joan Drinkwin, Kyle Antonelis and Paul Rudell – Natural Resources Consultants; Mike Etnier – Applied Osteology Tom Good and Anna Elz – NOAA; Jason Morgan – Northwest Straits Foundation
Derelict Fishing Gear in Washignton’s Salish Sea •One of the worst localized derelict fishing gear problems on the West Coast
•Lots of rocky habitats to snag nets •Huge salmon fishery historically
•Estimated 6,000 net remnants lost
•10-30 Nets lost per year currently
Timeline • Identified as priority by Northwest Straits Initiative in 2001 • Worked with WDFW, Tribes, other partners on protocols, guidelines, reporting system • Diver removals began in 2002 • Scientific data collection required for all operations • Statewide derelict fishing gear reporting system and database in place • Strategic focus on high priority concentrations
Puget Sound Net Removal Results as of 2016 •
O5,785 net
•
344.8 metric tons
•
3.35 km² habitat recovered
•
•
298,383 animals – Mammals: 71 – Birds: 1,103 – Fish: 5,709 – Invertebrates: 482,865 255 unique species
Mortality Rates (# animals/unit time) ALL 5,785 nets Annual/ Group Observed net #nets Annually Marine Mammals 71 0.32 5785 1,868 Birds 1,103 5.02 5785 29,020 Fish 5,709 20.77 5785 120,171 Invertebrates 482,865 773.15 5785 4,472,686
Annual Mortality Rates (# animals/unit time) per net OLD, NEW, NEWLY LOST, and NEW and NEWLY LOST combined
ALL
Group
n=5,785
OLD
NEW
NEWLY LOST
n=4,967
n=778
n=40
NEW & NEWLY LOST
n=818
Marine Mammals
0.32
0.10
1.22
11.18
1.70
Birds
5.02
2.68
19.24
19.08
19.23
Fish
20.77
11.03
66.44
341.67
79.90
Invertebrates
773.15
759.71
851.65
915.09
854.75
