Disposal Bin Aims To Keep Fishing Gear Out Of Barnegat Bay

WARETOWN, NJ — A new disposal bin for marine debris and discarded fishing equipment will be placed in Waretown next year to keep debris out of the Barnegat Bay.

Lost, abandoned and discarded fishing gear can threaten important marine wildlife, according to officials with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation (CWF) and Fishing for Energy.

In 2021, the CWF received a $14,960 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation toward removing up to five tons of marine debris from Barnegat Bay, including derelict crab pots, to reduce wildlife entanglements in coastal marsh waters.

The new bin is expected to collect several tons of derelict crab pots over the course of two years.

Derelict crab pots continue to kill marine crabs, turtles, and fish as long as they are lost and therefore unchecked, officials said. In New Jersey, local fishermen estimate that 10 percent of their crab pots are lost annually.

Northern diamondback terrapins, blue crab, American eel, flounder, black sea bass, Atlantic croaker, white perch, catfish, spot, tautog, oyster toadfish, whelks, blackfish and red-bearded sponge are among the many marine species impacted by ghost crab pots.

Fishing for Energy is a public-private partnership that provides commercial fishermen with a cost-free solution to dispose of derelict fishing gear or gear that is lost, abandoned or discarded.

The partnership offers conveniently located collection bins to dispose of old fishing gear, making it easier for fishing communities to deal with the issue of derelict gear and ultimately reduces the amount of gear that ends up in coastal waters.

The partnership also recycles gear made of metal and in some cases can even process the remaining gear and debris to generate renewable energy at Covanta’s Energy-from-Waste facilities.

The disposal bin will be placed and ready for collection at the end of winter 2022, officials said.

Over the next few years, the CWF aims to increase involvement in marine debris removal efforts to help provide clean and safe habitats for local wildlife.

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