Estimating the Benefits of Derelict Crab Trap Removal in the Gulf of Mexico
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SPECIAL SECTION: RESTORATION BENEFITS IN GULF OF MEXICO
Estimating the Benefits of Derelict Crab Trap Removal in the Gulf of Mexico Courtney Arthur 1 & Scott Friedman 1 & Jennifer Weaver 2 & Dan Van Nostrand 3 & James Reinhardt 4 Received: 29 November 2019 / Revised: 21 July 2020 / Accepted: 29 July 2020 # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Ghost fishing in derelict blue crab traps is ubiquitous and causes incidental mortality which can be reduced by trap removal programs. In an effort to scale the benefits of such removal programs, in the context of restoring the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, this paper calculates the ecological benefits of trap removal by estimating the extent of derelict blue crab traps across Gulf of Mexico waterbodies and combining these estimates with Gulf-specific crab and finfish mortality rates due to ghost fishing. The highest numbers and densities of traps are found in Louisiana, with estimates ranging up to 203,000 derelict traps across the state and up to 41 traps per square kilometer in areas such as Terrebonne Bay. Mortality rates are estimated at 26 crabs per trap per year and 8 fish per trap per year. The results of this analysis indicate a Gulf-wide removal program targeting 10% of derelict traps over the course of 5 years would lead to a combined benefit of more than 691,000 kg of crabs and fish prevented from mortality in ghost fishing traps. These results emphasize the importance of ongoing derelict trap removal programs. Future work could assess additional benefits of trap removal programs, such as fewer entanglements of marine organisms, improved esthetics, and increases in harvestable catch. Lastly, this model could be utilized by fishery managers to calculate the benefits of other management options designed to decrease the extent and impact of derelict fishing gear. Keywords Marine debris . Crab traps . Ghost fishing . Ecological restoration
Introduction Marine debris, defined as “any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned in the marine environment or Great Lakes” (33U.S.C. 1951 et seq., as amended), is widespread in marine and coastal environments. The effects of marine debris on wildlife have been Communicated by Mark S. Peterson Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00812-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Courtney Arthur [email protected] 1
Industrial Economics, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02140, USA
2
Research Planning, Inc., Columbia, SC 29201, USA
3
NOAA Restoration Center, Mobile, AL 36608, USA
4
NOAA Restoration Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
documented for decades (CBD 2012). For example, organisms become trapped or entangled in derelict fishing gear or ingest smaller debris fragments and particles, resulting in reduced health and mortality (e.g., Chiappone et al. 2002; MacFadyen et al. 2009; Wilcox et al. 2016). Furtherm
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