Report to U.S. Congress: Sources and Impacts of Derelict Fishing Gear

Natural Resources Consultants and Abt Associates partnered to write the 2024 Report to Congress: Sources and Impacts of Derelict Fishing Gear. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program provided support to develop the report, which was required by the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act.  The report represents the state of the knowledge of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear in the marine capture fisheries of the United States and its territories. It provides a summary of the major sources and impacts, estimates annual loss rates for different fishing gear types, and provides recommendations on management measures to further address the problem in the waters of the United States and its territories. Find the full report on the NOAA website: https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/derelict-fishing-gear/sources-and-impacts-derelict-fishing-gear-0.