Derelict Gear Removal
How we keep the Salish Sea clean
Derelict fishing gear is gear that has been lost, abandoned, or discarded at sea.
This lost fishing gear degrades marine habitats and entangles target and non-target species of fish, marine mammals, seabirds, and invertebrates. This “ghost fishing” kills countless marine animals with no one there to harvest or set them free. In the Salish Sea, gillnets lost during a once booming salmon fishery and thousands of crab pots lost each year in a popular Dungeness crab fishery have altered marine habitats and impacted populations of marine life throughout the region.
Since 2002, we have been tackling the issue of derelict gear in the Salish Sea through research to understand the impacts and best methods for removal and prevention of lost gear, removal of derelict gear eliminating the present and future harm it causes, and education programs sharing best practices to avoid gear loss.
Our work removing more than 5,800 derelict fishing nets and 8,000 derelict crab pots has restored over 870 acres of critical marine habitat and is saving the lives of millions of marine animals every year.
Derelict Crab Pots
Derelict Crab Pot Removal
Our derelict crab pot removal program clears the seafloor of lost crab pots which left unchecked continue to capture and kill Dungeness crab and disrupt the critical habitat they occupy. We have removed over 8,000 derelict crab pots from high priority areas including Port Gardner, Padilla Bay, Port Townsend Bay, Dungeness Bay, and more throughout the Salish Sea protecting local crab populations and the habitat they and other marine life need to survive.
Our process starts by working with partners to identify a project area to be surveyed for derelict fishing gear. Utilizing sidescan sonar technology, we scan the seafloor then process the data to identify derelict crab pot target locations. These target locations are then uploaded to a derelict gear removal vessel’s navigation system in preparation for gear recovery operations.
Now our derelict gear recovery crews are ready for action. The vessel’s captain directs the boat to the target location, a line with weight attached is dropped down to the target area, and a diver is deployed to follow the line down to the target. Once the pot or pots are located the diver attaches them to the line which hauls them onboard where all trapped marine animals are released back to the sea.
After a day’s work, the gear is sorted at the dock for its final destination, working to minimize what is deposited in the landfill. In 2024 we removed 14,898 lbs of marine debris, 90% of which was recycled or reused.
Program Map
Over the past 20 years, we have removed derelict fishing gear throughout the Salish Sea. Click and scroll anywhere on the map to explore derelict gear removal sites throughout the region.
Blue dots represent derelict crab pots removed.
Orange dots represent derelict nets removed.
Derelict Fishing Nets
No Lost Nets
Derelict Net Removal
A once booming salmon fishery left behind thousands of lost commercial fishing nets, usually gillnets, littering the seafloor, entangling marine animals, and degrading critical marine habitat. Fish, seabirds, marine mammals, crab and a host of other invertebrates were being trapped in these nets every day with no hope of being found and set free. In 2002, the Derelict Gear Program was formed to combat this issue through a three-pronged approach of removals, research, and education.
Since then, we have removed more than 5,800 derelict fishing nets clearing up the Salish Sea of this harmful lost gear from years past. Removing these lost nets restored over 870 acres of marine habitat and is saving over 11 million marine animals from entanglement every year. Salmon, lingcod, rockfish, porpoises, sea lions, scoters, pigeon guillemots, Dungeness crab and all the other sea life inhabiting the Salish Sea may now roam free from entanglement.
Reporting Lost Nets
In partnership with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and Puget Sound Treaty Tribes, we operate a Reporting, Response, and Retrieval Program to prevent newly lost fishing nets from becoming derelict and harming marine life. This no-fault, no-penalty program features a user-friendly reporting system and trained removal teams on standby for rapid response.
With legacy nets largely removed from Salish Sea waters, our focus has shifted to preventing reaccumulation and continuing to protect vital marine habitats. The program empowers both fishers and the public to report lost gear—such as gillnets, purse seines, or trawls—so our team can quickly locate and retrieve it before damage occurs.
If you lose all or part of a commercial fishing net, or encounter one in the environment, please report it as soon as possible so we can take swift action.
Report lost fishing nets here or by calling : 360-733-1725