The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is seeking commercial Dungeness crab fishing vessels to take part in gear innovation trials during the 2020-21 open fishing season. These trials are intended to test the performance of multiple gear innovations/modifications designed to mitigate the risk of whale entanglements, including a) galvanic timed releases which minimize the time buoy lines are in the water column, b) on-demand acoustic pop-up systems which remove buoy lines from the water column, and c) breakaway sleeves designed to break apart under enough force. 

 

These specific innovations were selected based upon recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group, previous gear demonstrations in September 2019, and the availability of the systems for testing during the 2020-2021 fishing season. Fishermen will be provided with test equipment, given training and support, and receive a stipend for participating in the research. By working closely with fishermen, we hope to gain invaluable information, feedback and ideas on the experimental gears to inform continued development and testing of gear innovations planned for next year.     

 

If you are interested in participating or for more information on the project please contact Greg Wells at [email protected] or (949) 630-6951. The Foundation is currently recruiting for the first round of testing but will consider additional participants on an ongoing basis.

 

This project is being carried out in collaboration with the California Ocean Protection Council and California Department of Fish and Wildlife with input from multiple partners and technical experts including NOAA Fisheries, NOAA West Coast Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group. 

 

For more information about the project please visit the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation's project webpage.