Commercial fishermen removing derelict fishing gear, often called ghost gear, from the ocean.
HPU's Center for Marine Debris Research (CMDR) has been awarded a $9,000 Pāpio Grant from the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation's (HCF) Holomua Marine Initiative Fund to extend its Bounty Project, which pays commercial fishers to remove derelict fishing gear, often called ghost gear, from the ocean before it can damage Hawaiʻi's coral reefs and shorelines. The grant funds removal efforts through July and August, with the full award dedicated to compensating fishers at a rate of $1 per pound of debris recovered.
Launched in September 2022, the Bounty Project positions the fishermen already working on the ocean at the center of the solution. Through a partnership with the Hawaiʻi Longline Association, and non-longline fishers, eligible commercial fishers are compensated to recover derelict gear during routine fishing trips, removing nets, lines, and floats at sea before they drift into reefs, entangle marine wildlife, or wash ashore. In just over three years, the Project has removed more than 200,000 pounds (90 metric tons) of derelict fishing gear from the North Pacific Ocean and is one of only three known efforts removing debris from the distant North Pacific Garbage Patch.
The Bounty Project was slated to conclude this month. The HCF grant provides a critical two-month extension, allowing removals to continue without interruption, including rapid-response recovery in sensitive reef habitats such as Kāneʻohe Bay. Previous phases of the Project were supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program with matching funds from Ocean Conservancy, as well as funding from Ocean Conservancy’s Global Ghost Gear Initiative.
“We are very grateful for this funding from HCF’s Pāpio Grants. With current project funding coming to an end in June, the Pāpio grant will help remove another ~9000 pounds of harmful marine debris from the ocean,” said HPU Project Manager for the Bounty Project Katie Stevens.
Beyond removals, the Project supports research and student workforce development. Four HPU students currently contribute to the effort, with one undergraduate continuing through the summer, and the Project maintains a database spanning more than three years that tracks where debris is recovered around Oʻahu, informing prevention strategies and international collaboration.
Individuals, businesses, and partners interested in supporting HPU CMDR's marine debris research, recovery, and recycling innovations are encouraged to contact HPU CMDR Director Jennifer Lynch, Ph.D., at jmlynch@hpu.edu.
For more information on HPU CMDR, visit www.hpu.edu/cmdr.
