Derelict fishing gear is a significant and growing problem. In Scotland this problem is especially acute for the various creel fisheries which target langoustine, crabs, lobsters and other crustaceans. Large sea mammals such as whales can get trapped in derelict fishing gear causing injury or even death. The team at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) is working towards reducing entanglements by first surveying for derelict/lost creels using active acoustic side-scan sonar and then using mechanical retrieval.
SAMS was originally awarded £24,950 from the SMEEF privately funded grant round. This was our first fully privately financed round made possible by donations from businesses interested in restoring and enhancing Scotland’s coasts and seas. Contributors are listed here. Further funding of £8,226 was made possible by the Nature Restoration Fund and was used to buy a Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) which will be used in conjunction with an Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to locate and inspect suspected derelict creels. This will improve understanding of derelict creels’ distribution and behaviour and thus assess the wider ongoing environmental impacts. For more information about how to contribute to SMEEF contact manager@smeef.scot