15 July 2009

Stimulating ocean cleanup

Ocean wildlife off the coast of Oregon are getting a boost with a recent grant from NOAA to remove old crab pots. These pots, which are lost in storms or when propellers cut the lines, often ensnare passing whales, turtles, sea lions, and other creatures. The state's Department of Fish & Wildlife estimates that as many as 10 percent of the pots are lost, roughly 15,000 of them dropping to the ocean floor each year.

This program, apparently the largest grant ever given to clean up discarded fishing gear, will hire fishermen to retrieve the pots.
While this program, estimated to clean up 4,000 pots, is a good start, there is a lot more to do and no plan to continue the retrieval after the funds run out in 2010. State officials hope that fishermen will keep the program going once funding runs out, which seems a bit optimistic at a time when catches are dropping.

More information at msnbc.com.

1 comment:

Monterey Bay Pacific Coast LifeStyles Network said...

AWESOME Article !!...2 Thumbs way up !!.
We must clean and watch our marine ecosystem. It can recover.
Here in Monterey we set up a 6000 square mile area call the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Sea life that was once nearly destroyed and gone , now exist again. We have thousands of sea lions, sea otters,sea mammals and our undersea kelp forest is huge.

Anyways I enjoyed your article, hope your site helps educate some more people.

Anytime you get a chance come by my website and say Hi, at The Moneterey Bay Pacific Coast Network