Beverly Harbormaster To Take Deep Dive For Lost Fishing Gear

BEVERLY, MA — Beverly Harbormaster Peter Dickman and Dive Safety & Training Officer David Caldwell are planning to lead two dive missions designed to recover derelict or "ghost" fishing gear on the sea floor of Beverly Harbor through a grant from the National Fishing Trap Removal, Assessment and Prevention Program.

The $124,700 grant is aimed at restoring the marine habitat and support local fisheries. Recovered materials will be returned, reused, or recycled sustainably.

This is the first abandoned fishing gear recovery project in Beverly Harbor.

“Having spent a lifetime around Beverly Harbor, I take great pride in the opportunity to help restore and protect it," Dickman. "This project brings together local divers, fishermen, students, and environmental groups in a shared effort to improve the health of our marine environment and make a lasting difference beneath the surface."

The project will be a coordinated effort with a partnership of local stakeholders in the area, including North Atlantic Dive Expeditions, Beverly Harbormasters, lobstermen association, local dive shops, marine biologists, Beverly Harbor Management Authority, and environmental groups such as Salem Sound Coast Watch, Green Beverly, Endicott College, Essex Technical High School, and Beverly High School.

Outside agency support will come from the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), Mass Division of Marine Fisheries, Center for Coastal Studies, U.S. Coast Guard & the NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

Hill Fisheries LTD also received $148,622 to remove abandoned and derelict American lobster traps in the Cape Ann area and its surrounding islands in Massachusetts.

Removal of ghost fishing gear addresses a contributing factor to recent declines in the lobster catch rate. The derelict gear also poses an entanglement risk to marine species, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)