Immediately upon loss, most traps ghost fish for some amount of time. The rates presented here represent the percentage of derelict traps in each fishery that were ghost fishing at any one point in time. Due to factors including trap design (Fig. 2), variable rates of degradation (Fig. 3), and environmental conditions including varying oceanographic regimes, the percent of DFTs ghost fishing in each fishery at a given moment is variable. Based on the survey data in these studies, rates of ghost fishing ranged from 5% to 40% (Table 2). Ghost fishing rates (# ghost fishing/total DFT) were lowest in the USVI and were influenced by use of escape panels. When escape panels were open, only 2% of fish observed in the USVI traps died, while the remainder escaped after spending an average of 8.2 (±3.4) days in the traps. The highest rates of ghost fishing, based on available data, occurred in Maryland and researchers suggest that mortality (approximately 20 blue crabs/trap/yr) is due to a lack of gear design and management options designed to prevent ghost fishing (Giordano et al., 2010). Thus, estimated catch in DFTs varies and may be driven in part by differences in trap design, such as escape panels and panel placement on traps (Havens et al., 2009b). This suggests that collaborative effort is needed to design traps that allow species to readily escape when traps become derelict, thus rendering derelict traps “non fishing.” Designs should account for differences in species behavior and morphology (Lyons and Hunt, 1991).