Tuesday, June 8, 2010

"Catch of the Day"




















On June 2nd met with Captain David Goethel at the commercial fishing docks in Seabrook, NH just as he was unloading his catch for the day. Captain Goethel is one of the Marine Debris to Energy Projects industry partners and has been recording derelict fishing gear that he comes in contact with for two years. On this particular day Goethel and his crew were unloading damaged lobster pots and derelict gill net gear.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Wow - 25 Tons of Lobster Traps Recycled!

We just got our notice from Waste Management, who provided bins for disposal of lobster traps during the Spring trap cleanup from April 16-19, 2010. The cleanup was conducted in partnership with NH Fish & Game, the NH Commercial Fishermen's Association, and NH Port Authority. While we were actively doing regular beach cleanups during this time, we really just provided bins for the traps, courtesy of funding from NOAA. It was the local fishermen and their volunteers who did all the hard work of hauling the traps off the beaches.

And wow, what a haul it was - according to our statement from Waste Management, 25 tons of gear were hauled away! This was more than expected, likely due to all the storms we've had this spring.

What's going to happen to the traps? They were being hauled to ERRCO, a facility in Epping, NH that will separate the materials for recycling.

I've been doing beach cleanups along the coast for years, and have always been frustrated by the number of lobster traps on the beach. Lobstermen don't want to lose their traps - many are lost just by 'Acts of God.' But state law prohibits the public from removing the traps from the beach. So I was happy that we could be involved in the annual cleanup this year, and look forward to hopefully being involved next year as well!

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