Poster abstracts and manuscripts from the Third International ...

Weikart, Heather
28
Summary of Marine Debris Observed from U.S. Fishing Vessels in
the Northeast Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea; 1992-1993
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National
Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center,
Seattle, Washington, USA
Historically, there have been two sampling methods used to assess
the abundance of marine debris: open-water surveys and beach
surveys. Beach surveys have proved to be the most cost
effective, but recently there have been a number of attempts-to
estimate the amount of debris in open water. Fisheries observers
are in a unique position to collect information concerning the
types and distribution of marine debris. As a result of a 1991
agreement between the Marine Entanglement Research Program and
the NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center Groundfish Observer
Program, a marine debris data collection project was developed to
quantify the amount of debris generated from vessels
participating in the groundfish fisheries of the Bering Sea and
the Gulf of Alaska, retrieved with the gear, or observed on the
water surface. Since observers began collecting data in 1992
they have recorded over 3,300 pieces of marine debris retrieved
by commercial fishing vessels. The majority of this debris was
associated with fishing operations; net fragments, longline gear,
crab pots, etc. However, it also includes plastics, tires, hulls
of boats, and a rocking horse. In addition to recording the
retrieval of marine debris observers have also completed 636
sighting surveys for debris. They have accumulated over 700
hours of survey time and have recorded 64 positive sightings of
debris. Although a wide variety of items have been sighted, the
most common has been paper and lumber.