27-03-2025
86 tons of ghost gear removed from Cape Cod Bay since 2013. Crews pulled up more Tuesday.
A bounty of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear was unloaded at MacMillan Pier in Provincetown Tuesday afternoon.
Known as ghost gear, the equipment was recovered in and around Provincetown Harbor by a team from the Center for Coastal Studies' Marine Debris and Plastics Program. The crew started around 7 a.m. and arrived back at the dock after 1 p.m. More than 20 lobster traps, along with fishing ropes and some netting, were found.
Since 2013, more than 86 tons of ghost gear have been removed from Cape Cod Bay, according to a press release from the Center for Coastal Studies.
The Marine Debris and Plastics Program will continue its work through April. This is the 10th year for the center's ghost gear removal program in Massachusetts.
Ghost gear is primarily comprised of plastic, said Laura Ludwig, director of the Marine Debris and Plastics Program, in a phone interview Wednesday morning. Plastic is the main focus of this program, she said. The agency wants to remove the large pieces of debris before it becomes microplastics in the ocean.
This is a way to help clean up the ocean, she said.
Ghost gear is typically found on the ocean floor, Ludwig said, adding that — despite some misconceptions — it is not the cause of whale entanglements. Entanglements are caused by active fishing gear, she said.
"We're providing a service for the fishing industry and the habitat," she said.
The program is supported by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program with additional funding from the Bilezikian Family Foundation.
On some of the recovery trips, side-scan sonar surveys are used to identify targets in areas identified by fisherman as likely locations to find the ghost gear. They'll be looking for the gear in Cape Cod Bay, Boston Harbor and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
All of the recovered gear will be brought into piers in Provincetown, Boston and Sandwich. The gear will be sorted and documented and, when possible, returned to their owners. Other debris will disposed of by recycling or incineration.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: What to know about ghost gear hauled from Provincetown Harbor Tuesday
