July 11, 2012 — Discussions on the Bering Sea snow crab fishery have made the claim that there is a conservation concern over lost gear and the issue of “ghost fishing.” This concern is simply not accurate or based in fact. Recently there has been some discussion in the press regarding the conservation implications of crab pots lost under the ice during the 2011/2012 Bering Sea snow crab fishery. These discussions have made the claim that there is a conservation concern over lost gear and the issue of “ghost fishing.” This concern is simply not accurate or based in fact. Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) biologists Wayne Donaldson and Douglas Pengilly confirmed as much in a recent statement, “the Department supports escape mechanisms to facilitate crab escapement from lost pots. The 2011/2012 snow crab season was very unusual with respect to season length and sea ice coverage and the department estimates that the rate at which pots were lost during this season was higher than in previous rationalized seasons. However, our projections for crab mortality attributed to those lost pots would not result in exceeding the overfishing level set for this stock during the 2011/2012 season.” Clearly the issue of lost pots is worth noting, but it is not the conservation emergency some have claimed it is.
Without question, Bering Sea crab gear is among the cleanest pot gear in the world. Areas such as the Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound have extensive derelict gear removal programs in place to recover lost crab pots out of concern over ghost fishing. There is no similar program in the Bering Sea because there simply is no need for such a program. Regulators and industry have taken a proactive approach to the issue and have incorporated multiple conservation- ‐based features into the gear to minimize the potential for ghost fishing.
Recognizing the potential conservation implications of lost gear, the Alaska Board of Fisheries first addressed the issue as far back as 1977. Currently, there are three regulations in place for the Bering Sea directly concerned with lost pots and minimizing their adverse effects:
AS 16.10.125 mandates the Alaska Board of Fisheries to prescribe regulations related to the use of “termination devices” in crab pots. These “termination devices” are mechanisms intended to “render the pots incapable of holding fish and shellfish” when left immersed in seawater for an extended period of time.
5 AAC 39.145 requires the use of “untreated, 100 percent cotton twine, no larger than 30 thread” to secure a sidewall of the crab pot. This thread is known as “bio twine.” Once the bio twine degrades, the sidewall is no longer secured and allows any animals inside to escape unharmed.
5 AAC 35.525 describes mesh size and escape- ‐ring configuration requirements for the gear to facilitate the escape of juvenile and undersized crab.
These regulations are informed by the work of Kimker (1990) and Kruse & Kimker (1993). More recent studies re- ‐affirm the utility of bio twine as a “means of escape for animals captured by lost pots” and as an effective “limit to the potential for ghost fishing and the needless death of crabs and other animals” in lost crab gear. Clearly these regulations are the product of extensive research on the part of the Department and have stood the test of time.
From the practical side of things, there are two additional points worth making. First, pots that are dragged by advancing ice are very often flipped over due to the ice exerting downward pressure on the pot bridles. Once a pot is flipped, it is rendered useless in terms of catching crab. And second, bait that is left in the pot for more than a few days breaks down completely and loses its utility as a crab attractant.
In conclusion, as both a matter of regulation and practical fact, lost crab pots in the Bering Sea do not continue to “ghost fish” for an extended period of time as some have claimed. Bering Sea crab fishermen can be proud of the gear they use. It is the product of extensive conservation engineering and has been recognized as such. And from the regulatory end, the Alaska Board of Fisheries and ADF&G are to be commended for the high priority they have placed on conservation of the resource.