Lost Fishing Gear Project Support

What We Do

The California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project, a program conducted by the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, helps fishermen recover hundreds of crab pots annually. The success of the project has paved the way for the Dungeness Crab Task Force, a group of representatives from local fisheries, to propose a permanent gear retrieval program. The fishermen and the Wildlife Health Center are working to remove lost crab fishing gear—which poses an entanglement threat to marine mammals—from the ocean, and sell it to the original owners under what they hope will be an economically sustainable model for future cleanups.

How You Can Help

While our ultimate goal is for all fishing gear recovery to be fully financed and sustained by the industry, our project currently depends on donor support. Your donation allows us to maintain our current program and encourage expansion to new ports in California, with the potential for global impact. We thank you for supporting local fisheries and our wildlife.