Tens of thousands of abandoned crab pots are frustrating fishermen and boaters and harming the ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay.

The pots, which often float out to sea during storms, kill wildlife, disrupt navigation and get stuck in boat propellers, The Baltimore Sun reported Sunday.

Efforts to solve the problem are expensive and dangerous, the newspaper said. Divers could collect the pots one at a time, but the process would be time-consuming and subject the divers to conditions of cold water and limited visibility.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is looking into methods of collecting derelict pots, and ways to make them more biodegradable.

Not everyone agrees on the extent of the problem, the Sun said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has estimated there are at least 42,000 of the pots in Maryland waterways, but a spokesman for the Maryland Waterman’s Association called that a severe overestimation.

Crab fishermen say they already have an incentive to hang on to their pots, which cost about $35 each. // Copyright 2007 by United Press International


Publication date: 17 September 2007   

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