Bounty offered for derelict fishing gear

See abandoned fishing gear floating in the ocean? There’s a bounty for that.

Under a new program launched by Hawaii Pacific University, eligible commercial fishers can be paid for removing this derelict fishing gear — basically, some of the most harmful litter of the seas — from the ocean.

This includes ghost nets, which are lost or discarded fishing nets, along with abandoned fishing gear, which is primarily made up of plastic, HPU said, and which regularly washes up on Hawaii’s shores.

Raquel Corniuk, research manager of HPU’s Center for Marine Debris Research, said the idea was to offer fishers who already are out on the ocean — and who already come across derelict fishing gear on a regular basis — additional incentive to remove it and bring it in.

A trial run of the project, which occurred from 2020 to 2021, went well and was well received by those in the fishing industry. Ultimately, it’s a win-win situation, she said, for fishers as well for the environment.

“It’s a menace for them because it gets entangled in their machines and boats,” said Corniuk. “They’re already out there, so why not use them for this opportunity? We want to remove the debris before it reaches our islands. If we can remove that out at sea, we can hopefully remove entanglement and smothering of coral reefs at shore.”

Additionally, she said, using vessels already out at sea instead of sending a new boat out on a mission to collect the marine debris reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

The program’s goal is to remove 100 metric tons, or 220,462 pounds, of derelict fishing gear from the ocean over two years. HPU has partnered with the Hawaii Longline Association and state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources to reach this ambitious goal.

The program, which is partially supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program, will pay registered fishers $1 to $3 per dry pound for derelict fishing gear found at sea and brought back to Oahu.

The lower end of the pay scale, $1 per dry pound, is for derelict fishing gear such as tangled nets, lines and floats, while $3 per dry pound will be offered for detached drifting fish aggregation device buoys used for tracking.

Bounties will be paid until the fund is exhausted, she said.

“For decades, Hawaii longline vessels have been bringing back derelict nets/ropes encountered at sea, and since 2010, disposing the debris at the dedicated bin at Pier 38,” said Eric Kingma, executive director of the Hawaii Longline Association, in a statement. “Derelict ghost gear is a serious safety at sea hazard and when entangled with fishing gear, lost time and economic impacts result. HLA is excited to partner with HPU in this project and contribute to its objective.”

Unless the gear is made of buoys, HPU is asking that the derelict gear weigh at least 100 pounds or more for collection. HPU will also ask fishers to take photos of derelict fishing gear prior to removal and provide its GPS coordinates.

DLNR warns that removal of gear actively used for fishing legally or devices that appear to be anchored in place intentionally is prohibited by the project, and ineligible for bounty payments.

Derelict fishing gear, according to HPU, is one of the most harmful forms of marine debris to animals and habitats. Large nets get tangled up by ocean currents and can entrap and drown marine animals, as well as smother and kill Hawaii’s coral reefs as they drift to shore.

HPU will be gathering the gear, then measuring, weighing and documenting it. The debris will be repurposed for artists, educators and recycling researchers — and whatever is left will be converted to energy through the Nets-to-Energy program.

HPU is researching where derelict fishing gear is washing ashore from, with initial findings indicating most is not from fisheries based in Hawaii.

To be eligible, fishers must own or operate a federally permitted Hawaii longline vessel or be a licensed commercial fisher in Hawaii. They must register for the program before removing gear by the deadline of Feb. 28.

HPU is also seeking vol­unteers to help with the bounty program. To register or learn more, visit hpu.edu/bounty.