Derelict Crab Pot Bycatch
Lost or abandoned fishing gear can continue to capture and kill many different animals. In the Chesapeake Bay, the derelict crab pot removal program conducted during the winter over 6 years documented over 31,000 animals, representing over 40 different species, captured or killed in crab pots.
Marine Debris Removal Project
| Season |
2008 - 2009 |
2009 - 2010 |
2010 - 2011 |
2011 - 2012 |
2012 - 2013 |
2013 - 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days Worked | 48 | 49 | 49 | 24 | 30 | 32 |
| Number of Watermen | 58 | 65 | 70 | 70 | 4 | 7 |
| Bycatch | ||||||
| Female Blue Crab | 1875 | 4526 | 6660 | 1701 | 632 | 582 |
| Male Blue Crab | 1414 | 3504 | 4368 | 1350 | 364 | 191 |
| Oyster Toadfish | 856 | 797 | 1003 | 660 | 144 | 207 |
| Whelk | 300 | 360 | 299 | 107 | 0 | 31 |
| Black Seabass | 63 | 218 | 151 | 27 | 0 | 32 |
| Atlantic Croaker | 27 | 120 | 164 | 11 | 2 | 4 |
| White Perch | 65 | 51 | 38 | 34 | 20 | 3 |
| Catfish | 27 | 64 | 4 | 79 | 5 | 1 |
| American Eel | 22 | 44 | 76 | 43 | 16 | 19 |
| Spot | 15 | 31 | 38 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Flounder sp. | 9 | 29 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Turtle (terrapin) | 19 | 19 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 15 |
| Tautog | 6 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 2 | 4 |
| Black Drum | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Bluefish | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bowfin | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Butterfish | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Cunner | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Duck (general) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Hogchoker | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Horseshoe Crab | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lobster | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Menhaden | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Merganser | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Minnow | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| Mullet | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muskrat | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Pinfish | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Pigfish | 0 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Porgy | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Puffer | 0 | 4 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Rappa Whelk | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red Drum | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sheepshead | 7 | 0 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 27 |
| Sole | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Spadefish | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Striped Burrfish | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Stargazer | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Striped Bass | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Unknown Spp. | 65 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Total Bycatch | 4790 | 9827 | 12850 | 4137 | 1212 | 1134 |