LOST, abandoned or discarded crab pots, additionally referred to as ghost gear, pose a severe menace to the properly being of marine ecosystems. Necessary species, just like crocodiles and sharks, along with turtles and birds, inadvertently get caught inside the pots and drown – however all these species play a pivotal operate in sustaining the resilience of our ecosystems and fish productiveness.
In a bid to deal with the rising affect of ghost crab pots, the Good Aussie Crab Pot Restoration has been launched. An initiative of OceanEarth Foundation, by its Ghostnets Australia program, in partnership with OzFish Limitless, this method is collaborating with the leisure and enterprise fishing group to increased understand the idea causes of the issue, clean-up present pots and uncover preventative avenues.
The first step is to call on leisure fishers nationally to be part of the reply by sharing their concepts and notion in regards to the challenge, by the Good Aussie Crab Pot Restoration Survey.
“Fishers are part of the fabric of our group, and we’re asking them to work with us to attempt to treatment the issue and in the reduction of the affect these abandoned pots are having on our ecosystems and wildlife,” said OceanEarth Foundation managing director Anissa Lawrence.
“All of us have a job to play in accountable fishing practices that will help defend fishing into the long run. This survey is a vital first step on this system, to extend our understanding of the complexities of the difficulty and acquire useful data that will enrich our learning and help data the effectiveness of our efforts and forestall it recurring.”
“These pots are merely misplaced when set and left, by every leisure and enterprise fishers. Nonetheless the affect of misplaced gear is far-reaching – it locations the resilience of ecosystems and fish productiveness in peril,” she said.
Cassie Worth, OzFish director of Habitat Packages, believes that difficult challenges is likely to be solved when of us come collectively.
“Making a sustainable fishing future to verify the long-term properly being of our marine ecosystems is a shared accountability, which is dependent upon our collective dedication to managing factors like misplaced crab pots.
“OzFish will work with our fishing group and stakeholder partnerships to go looking out the easiest choices to this downside, as collectively our optimistic affect is amplified, making a legacy for future generations”, said Ms Worth.
Following the survey, predominant clear up events will possible be held inside the Gulf of Carpentaria all through May, the place years of misplaced crab pots will possible be recovered. The pots will then be recycled into useful merchandise for fishers, with the proceeds getting used to assist habitat restoration. Whereas the choices acknowledged will help cease the long run build-up of misplaced pots.
“The is a extremely thrilling program and the first of its type in Australia, as we’re taking the lead in addressing accountable crab pot administration. It is a unbelievable occasion of the fishing group being part of the reply to a long-term draw back, whereas bringing good outcomes for our distinctive marine ecosystems,” Ms Lawrence concluded.
The Good Aussie Crab Pot Restoration is a Ghost Nets Progressive Choices mission and has acquired grant funding from the Australian Authorities.
In case you’re a leisure fisher and want to get entangled with this initiative to reinforce the properly being of Australia’s marine ecosystems, head over to our Good Aussie Crab Pot Restoration internet web page to fill inside the survey.