378 
NOAA 
National Marine 
Fisheries Service 
Fishery Bulletin 
established 1881 <«?. 
Spencer F. Baird 
First U.S. Commissioner 
of Fisheries and founder 
of Fishery Bulletin 
Factors driving the density of derelict 
crab pots and their associated bycatch 
in North Carolina waters 
Christine M. Voss 1 
Joan A. Browder 2 
Andrew Wood 3 
Adriane Michaelis 3 
Email address for contact author: c.m.voss.unc@gmail.com 
Abstract— Lost or derelict fishing 
gear can impair fisheries by contrib- 
uting to the depletion of target spe- 
cies populations and can reduce non- 
target fish and wildlife populations. 
We measured the density of derelict 
crab pot (DCPs) using side-scan so- 
nar and examined bycatch associ- 
ated with DCPs in nearshore waters 
(depths <4 m) of 6 waterbodies im- 
portant to the North Carolina blue 
crab fishery, the state’s most valued 
commercial fishery. Extrapolated 
mean DCP density was 105 DCP/km 2 
of open water (range: 6-301). Densi- 
ties of DCPs differed significantly 
among waterbodies but not among 
habitats (marsh creeks, estuarine 
edge <50 m from shore, and Atlantic 
Intracoastal Waterway margin). Ex- 
trapolated DCP densities were gen- 
erally greater than those concurrent- 
ly observed for actively fished crab 
pots within the 201 1-km 2 cells sam- 
pled during 23 survey days between 
April and November 2010. Of the 
DCPs examined, 41% contained by- 
catch (unintentional catch) and 37% 
remained capable of trapping organ- 
isms. Bycatch was dominated by 
blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) and 
Florida stone crab (Menippe merce- 
naria) and included 5 diamondback 
terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) and 
1 clapper rail (Rallus crepitans). Based 
on monitoring of four 1-km 2 cells, 
annual DCP “recruitment” was 1.5 
DCP/km 2 (1 SD). Reducing recruit- 
ment, persistence, and entrapment 
capability of DCPs would benefit 
the blue crab and Florida stone crab 
fisheries, as well as help conserve 
at-risk wildlife populations. 
Manuscript submitted 21 January 2014. 
Manuscript accepted 2 July 2015. 
Fish. Bull.: 113:378-390 (2015). 
Online publication date: 21 July 2015. 
doi: 10.7755/FB. 113.4.2 
The views and opinions expressed or 
implied in this article are those of the 
author (or authors) and do not necessarily 
reflect the position of the National 
Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. 
1 Institute of Marine Sciences 
University of North Carolina 
3431 Arendell Street 
Morehead City, North Carolina 28557 
2 Southeast Fisheries Science Center 
National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA 
75 Virginia Beach Drive 
Miami, Florida 33149 
3 Audubon North Carolina 
7741 Market Street 
Unit D 
Wilmington, North Carolina 28411 
More than 1 million commercial crab 
pots are used annually in North 
Carolina, and an annual loss rate of 
17% has been estimated by the North 
Carolina Division of Marine Fisher- 
ies (NCDMF 1 ). Estimated annual 
rates of crab pot losses were 30% in 
the lower York River, Virginia, for 
commercial and recreational pots 
combined (Havens et ah, 2008) and 
25% in the Gulf of Mexico for com- 
mercial pots only (Guillory et al. 2 ). 
Because pots that are lost or aban- 
1 NCDMF (North Carolina Division of 
Marine Fisheries). 2008. Assess the 
effects of hurricanes on North Carolina’s 
blue crab resource, 178 p. [Available 
from NCDMF, North Carolina Dep. En- 
viron. Nat. Resour., 3441 Arendell St., 
Morehead City, NC 28557.] 
2 Guillory, V., A. McMillen-Jackson, L. 
Hartman, H. Perry, T. Floyd, T. Wagner, 
and G. Graham. 2001. Blue crab der- 
elict traps and trap removal programs. 
Gulf States Mar. Fish. Comm. Publ. 88, 
13 p. [Available at website.] 
doned can continue to capture crabs, 
terrapins, fishes, and other wildlife 
for years, derelict crab pots (DCPs) 
pose a serious conservation problem 
in the coastal wetlands and shallow 
estuarine waters of North Carolina 
and elsewhere along the coasts of 
the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. 
North Carolina in recent years has 
ranked third or fourth among all 
states in annual commercial landings 
of hard-shell blue crab (NMFS, 2007- 
2014). The industry for hard-shelled 
blue crab ( Callinectes sapidus) alone 
is the most highly valued commercial 
fishery in North Carolina (Burgess 
and Bianchi 3 ). Landings and value of 
3 Burgess, C. C., and A. J. Bianchi. 2004. 
An economic profile analysis of the com- 
mercial fishing industry of North Caro- 
lina including profiles for state-managed 
species, 123 p. Div. Mar. Fish., North 
Carolina Dep. Environ. Nat. Resour., 
Morehead City, NC. [Available at web- 
site.] 
