LOST, abandoned or discarded crab pots, additionally referred to as ghost gear, pose a critical danger to the effectively being of marine ecosystems. Important species, akin to crocodiles and sharks, along with turtles and birds, inadvertently get caught throughout the pots and drown – however all these species play a pivotal place in sustaining the resilience of our ecosystems and fish productiveness.
In a bid to cope with the rising impression of ghost crab pots, the Good Aussie Crab Pot Restoration has been launched. An initiative of OceanEarth Foundation, via its Ghostnets Australia program, in partnership with OzFish Limitless, this technique is collaborating with the leisure and enterprise fishing group to increased understand the muse 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 difficulty, via 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 try to resolve the issue and cut back the impression these abandoned pots are having on our ecosystems and wildlife,” talked about OceanEarth Foundation managing director Anissa Lawrence.
“All of us have a process to play in accountable fishing practices that will help defend fishing into the long term. This survey is a vital first step on this system, to broaden our understanding of the complexities of the problem and gather useful information that will enrich our finding out and help info the effectiveness of our efforts and forestall it recurring.”
“These pots are merely misplaced when set and left, by every leisure and enterprise fishers. Nevertheless the impression of misplaced gear is far-reaching – it locations the resilience of ecosystems and fish productiveness in peril,” she talked about.
Cassie Value, OzFish director of Habitat Packages, believes that superior challenges shall be solved when of us come collectively.
“Making a sustainable fishing future to ensure the long-term effectively being of our marine ecosystems is a shared accountability, which relies on 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 drawback, as collectively our constructive impression is amplified, making a legacy for future generations”, talked about Ms Value.
Following the survey, fundamental clear up events will probably be held throughout the Gulf of Carpentaria all through May, the place years of misplaced crab pots will probably be recovered. The pots will then be recycled into useful merchandise for fishers, with the proceeds getting used to help habitat restoration. Whereas the choices acknowledged will help forestall the long term 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 downside, whereas bringing good outcomes for our distinctive marine ecosystems,” Ms Lawrence concluded.
The Good Aussie Crab Pot Restoration is a Ghost Nets Revolutionary Choices endeavor and has acquired grant funding from the Australian Authorities.
When you’re a leisure fisher and wish to get entangled with this initiative to reinforce the effectively being of Australia’s marine ecosystems, head over to our Good Aussie Crab Pot Restoration net web page to fill throughout the survey.