Summary of recommendations
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Examine the regional context and challenges resulting in the loss of DFTs to drive effective policy solutions.
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Increase spatial planning to reduce accidental DFT loss due to boating incidents.
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Provide low-cost, easy disposal options as incentive to reduce improper disposal.
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Educate fishing communities about the impacts of DFTs to reduce accidental loss and intentional loss through vandalism.
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Remove DFTs when possible, especially in areas that demonstrate high loss rates.
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Standardize techniques for removal, including determination of which traps may be more beneficial as habitat.
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Reduce impacts of DFTs by making sure escape panels are present and functioning as intended.
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Reduce impacts of DFTs through necessary research with the fishing industry to develop best options for trap construction that reduce ghost fishing without reducing catch.
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When available, consider using supplemental funds for DFT removal.
Summary of research needs
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Studies tying the impacts of DFTs to stock assessments, to understand the impacts on fishery populations.
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Studies designed (a priori) to measure the economic cost of DFTs on commercial fisheries.
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Collaborative research with the fishing industry to design traps that allow species to readily escape when traps become derelict.
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Studies estimating the population-level impacts of DFTs on species of concern.
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Research on the movement and behavior of DFTs in varying physical environments, to capture the dynamic rate of DFT import and export from a system.
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Studies to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the causes of gear loss, including improper disposal of traps on land, and understanding motivations for intentional trap loss.
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In areas with more severe impacts from DFTs, research into alternative harvesting methods that have fewer impacts.
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Science that focuses on debris aggregations near sensitive habitats and organisms, where substantial damage from DFTs may occur.
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Complimentary social science research to discover which policies and regulatory mechanisms would be most effective.
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Efforts to standardize metrics, to inform spatial comparisons and meta-analyses in the future.