As the world’s oceans continue to face numerous challenges, fishermen are turning to innovative solutions to reduce the risk of entanglements and protect marine life. One such technology is the pop-up gear, which uses a remote device to pull up lines laid horizontally across the sea floor.

1. • The pop-up gear is being trialed on Dungeness crab, black sea bass, and other species in various fisheries around the world.
2. • This technology eliminates the need for vertical fishing lines, reducing the risk of entanglement for whales, dolphins, and other marine animals.
3. • Fishermen can now use a remote-operated, acoustic release device to pop-up crab pots from the ocean floor, rather than relying on a floating buoy.

   Benefits	• Reduces the risk of entanglement
   • Allows for horizontal lines to be strung across the sea floor	• Enables fishermen to fish in areas where whales and dolphins are present
   • Reduces gear losses	• Increases fishing efficiency

   “Unfortunately, it has been six years we’ve been delayed or closed early for whales,” said Brand Little, a San Francisco Dungeness crab fisherman who is among those participating in the pilot. “This is a way to get our industry back.”

   The effort comes after reports of whale entanglements off the Pacific Coast spiked a decade ago during a marine heat wave. The change in temperature drove whales, many of them threatened or endangered humpbacks, to seek out food sources closer to the California coast, where they were caught in vertical fishing lines that had been strung between crab pots on the ocean floor and buoys bobbing on the surface.

   Why Pop-Up Gear Works

   The pop-up gear allows fishermen to use a remote-operated, acoustic release device to pop-up crab pots from the ocean floor, rather than having them tethered to a floating buoy. This means that the pots can be strung together with ropes laid horizontally, allowing whales to pass over them while migrating through the area.

   Fishermen can now fish in areas where whales and dolphins are present, reducing the risk of entanglement and protecting marine life.

   Long-time Dungeness crab fishermen have been slow to adopt the pop-up gear due to the cost, which can run $1,000 per pop-up device plus an on-board unit.

   Many fishermen have concerns about the cost and the need for a unified tracking system since the gear isn’t visible on the surface. However, some fishermen are seeing the benefits of the pop-up gear and are willing to give it a try.

   Highlights
   • Increased Efficiency: The pop-up gear allows fishermen to fish in areas where whales and dolphins are present, increasing the efficiency of their fishing operations. • Reduced Entanglements: The pop-up gear reduces the risk of entanglement for whales, dolphins, and other marine animals. • Improved Safety: The pop-up gear also reduces the risk of accidents and gear losses, improving the overall safety of fishing operations.