Washed-up Carcass Tangled in Netting

Shayla Shaishnikoff writes:

Because we found these remains entangled in fishery netting, it seems that the netting may be the cause of death. It is possible that the carcass and net came into contact postmortem, but we think this could be a case of "ghost fishing."

We did not find a skull with the remains, but we suspect it was a seal. Found by the Qawalangin Tribe, washed ashore at "Little South America."

Melissa Good, Marine Advisory Program Agent comments, "This skeleton has been on the western point of Little South America, Unalaska for much of the winter. The pelvic bones, in particular, the iliac crest, lead me to believe that this is a northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris). The entanglement debris is an approximately 10-foot section of 5" diameter mooring line typically used by the tugboats/barges anchored in Captains Bay. The line is larger than what is typically used by commercial fishing vessels in this region. It appears to me, that this is a post-mortem entanglement in frayed mooring line and not a case of ghost fishing." University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Sea Grant

From the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:

FAO UNEP estimates that abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear in the oceans makes up around 10 percent (640 000 tonnes) of all marine litter. Merchant shipping is the primary source on the open sea, land-based sources are the predominate cause of marine debris in coastal areas. Source: FAO News Article Ghost nets hurting marine environment

Other Resources

NOAA Marine Debris Program has researchers testing innovative gear technologies and modifications to help fishermen hold on to their traps and prevent serious impacts from the derelict gear to the fishery, marine wildlife, their habitats, and the economy. Four gear innovation projects launched last year through Fishing for Energy with funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program