Lost Pots Kill Crabs
A single lost pot can trap and kill up to 75 crabs in a year. An estimated 372,000 crabs die in lost pots each year in the Northwest Straits.
Secure crab pot lids and escape panels with biodegradable cotton cord: escape cord. This will allow crabs to escape from lost pots after the cord degrades. To be legal, escape cord must be 120 thread count or less.
What is Escape Cord?
Escape cord is cotton cord that will dissolve over time if a crab pot is lost, allowing trapped crabs and other marine species to escape.
When a crab pot is lost in an accident, the crabs trapped inside eventually die and serve as bait for more crabs over time. New crabs crawl inside to eat, and then find themselves trapped as well. Eventually the crab pot fills up with crabs that have been sealed inside by the metal or plastic ties that keep the pot acting like a trap long after it should.
Escape cord: cotton string that will wear away before the pot fills up, allowing crabs to move in and out of it without being trapped. It's strong enough to hold for the duration of crabbing season, but won't continue to trap crabs after the pot is no longer useful.
Help us do our part to maintain the Northwest Straits' healthy balance!
Let Crabs Escape From Lost Pots!