A ghost pot sits in the sand on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. (Credit: Pamela D’Angelo)
Every year, Chesapeake Bay watermen toss about 600,000 traps overboard to catch one of our favorite delicacies – the blue crab. But inevitably, some of those traps called crab pots disappear. They become “ghost pots” that kill millions of crabs and other marine species trapped inside. Watermen used to spend winters searching for those pots, but federal funds to pay for the project dried up. So, scientists are looking at other ways to deal with the problem.
Pamela D’Angelo reports for Chesapeake: A Journalism Collaborative.
Chesapeake: A Journalism Collaborative is funded with grant support from the Clayton Baker Trust, The Bancroft Foundation, Michael and Ann Hankin, The Jim and Patty Rouse Foundation, The Rob and Elizabeth Tyler Foundation, and the Mid-Shore Community Foundation
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