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Marine Debris Program Discusses Derelict Fishing Gear Removal with Congressional Staff
APRIL 27, 2020 — On April 16, the director of the Marine Debris Program (MDP), Nancy Wallace, and other MDP team members participated in a phone call with Congressional staff from the offices of Senator Kaine (VA) and Senator Murkowski (AK) to discuss derelict fishing gear removal activities.
The call was arranged by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), a current grantee and frequent partner organization. Other participants on the call included a senator from the Virginia General Assembly, representatives from Virginia state agencies, and the Oyster Restoration Partnership in Maryland.
The Marine Debris Program shared our successes with grant projects that involve commercial fishers in removal of derelict fishing gear during the off season or fisheries closures, and VIMS discussed lessons learned from a previous crab pot removal program in the Chesapeake Bay.
For more information, contact Nancy.Wallace@noaa.gov.