Fish Net Collection and Recycling Challenges and Opportunities in - PDF document

Fish Net Collection and Recycling Challenges and Opportunities in U.S. West Coast Ports Fran Recht Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission P.O. Box 221, Depoe Bay, Oregon 97341, U.S.A 541-765-2229, franrecht@newportnet.com Steve Hendrickson Skagit River Steel and Recycling P.O. Box 376, Burlington, Washington 98233, U.S.A. 360-757-6096, shhend@nwlink.com Between 1989 and 1996, with the support of about $75,000 worth of grant money available from U.S. Federal agencies (National Marine Fisheries Service and Environmental Protection Agency) $4000 worth of private funds from industry, and thousands of donated volunteer hours the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, in cooperation with Skagit River Steel and Recycling, a private recycling company, worked to set up and actively encourage fish net recycling programs. The grant funds were used to explore the need for and interest in net recycling in various fishing communities, identify cooperators and contacts, locate and work with a recycler, and set up and continue recycling programs. Funds were additionally used to purchase 20 foot used-shipping containers or other bins and prepare signage as well as to do some net composition testing. The grant funds were also, and most essentially, used to contract with local area coordinators on a very part time basis who organized the program, worked with the fishing community to promote awareness of the program and proper preparation of the nets, and who promoted the program in the media and other venues. The grant funds also paid for the project manager and recycler to visit participating and prospective port areas to help the local area coordinators. During this time period the recycling company, Skagit River Steel and Recycling, developed a relationship with the communities, including the encouragement of other commodity recycling from Alaska communities, and the program looked like it could continue as a free-enterprise endeavor. The Washington ports, located within an hour or so drive from the recycler, benefited from providing a service to their fishermen and from the free hauling and pick-up they received when a recycling container was full (reducing their extremely high waste disposal costs). The Alaska communities who were dealing with quickly filling landfills, heavy equipment entanglement

problems, or difficulties in burying nets, benefited from the removal of this bulky, troublesome material. Some sent baled nets or well-cleaned containers of well- compacted loose net which could generate revenue or used other commodities (e.g. baled cardboard or metals) to help defray the costs of transport or had the transport mostly donated by freight companies hauling empty barges southward at the end of the fishing season. However, as time has gone on attention to net recycling efforts in the communities has waned and net quantities being recycled have declined. An average of about 46 tons (92,000 lb. or 41 metric tons) of material a year were being recycled between 1991 and 1999 with about 10 to 11 participating port areas at its high point. Between 2000 and 2003 an average of 22 tons (44,000 lb. or 20 metric tons) have been recycled, with about 7 port areas participating (with an additional port area working with another recycler). A number of factors may be involved including City and port budget problems, changes to the fisheries (e.g. down turns in salmon fishing), failure to promote the program, and lack of a coordinator to focus attention on logistical and outreach issues. Factors needing attention include such challenges as keeping the nets clean and organized, minimizing multiple handling needs, arranging for net bin pick up when full, finding new space when port or city lands are used for other purposes, or organizing volunteers to move piles of net. Outreach factors needing attention include communication with fishermen, net manufacturers, and shipping companies regarding such things as proper net preparation, where to bring the nets, and coordination of moving of containers to the barge company for transport. The key to rebuilding the program to assure that more nets from more ports are recycled is the re-establishment of paid community recycling coordinators with a small budget for purchase of shipping containers for net storage, contract labor (e.g. to contract with fork lift operators upon occasion) and promotion. While other community support and interest would also be necessary, a person to focus attention on the recycling program, outreach, and logistical streamlining is essential. A small investment of an average of about $5000 per community per year for a few years would be money well spent to re-invigorate net recycling in ports that have participated in the past and establish new recycling areas. In addition, an overall program coordinator to select, train, and work with local area coordinators would be necessary. That is, for an estimated investment of about U.S. $125,000 per year, for a few years, nylon net recycling on the west coast of the U.S. could be expanded effectively (perhaps to as many as 14 port areas). Special focus should be given to streamlining the program (minimizing net handling needs) to allow it to be easily coordinated by the port area itself and to assure sustainable funding or cost recovery so as to assure program continuity when grant funds again are terminated.

SKAGIT RIVER STEEL & RECYCLING, INC. NYLON 6.0* FISH NET COLLECTED ~ ALL SOURCES APPROXIMATE TONNAGE ~ BY YEAR YEAR TOTAL TONS ** 1990 ? 1991 43.0 1992 43.2 1993 30.7 1994 40.6 1995 43.0 1996 79.2 1997 41.8 1998 46.4 1999 42.0 2000 21.3 2001 19.98 2002 28.3 2003 19.2 * Gillnets are generally nylon 6.0. Seine nets are nylon 6.6 ** Figures given are net tons (2000 lb. per net ton) = 0.9 metric tons For information contact Steve Hendrickson, Skagit River Steel and Recycling, Inc. P.O. Box 376, Burlington, Washington 98233, U.S.A., 360-757-6096, shhend@nwlink.com

SKAGIT RIVER STEEL & RECYCLING, INC. CURRENT MARKET PRICES ON JANUARY 9 TH , 2004 FOR NYLON 6.0 WEB* PREPARATION CURRENT PRICE CATEGORY (U.S. $ per ton (2000 pounds) $-140/ton/(charge) - $0/ton Contaminated/Dirty/Loose Small Quantity $0/ton - $40/ton Clean/Loose Large Quantity $40/ton -$80/ton Small Quantity- UP TO $100/ton Clean/Baled Large Quantity- UP TO $160/ton Skagit River Steel must trust an account for “ QUALITY Container Loads- UP TO $200/ton** ASSURANCE” to fit into this (42,000#/minimum) category and receive these prices) * Please note that the pricing ranges below reflect current pricing guidelines for nylon fish web delivered to Skagit River Steel and Recycling in Burlington, Washington. Picked-up pricing ranges would have to reflect additional charges for freight and handling and would be evaluated on a case by case basis. ** Container Loads can either be delivered either to the nearest dock or to Skagit River Steeel and Recycling. CONTACTS: Steve Hendrickson or Lois Young , 800-869-7097 (US only); 360-757-6096 , shhend@nwlink.com or loisy@nwlink.com Skagit River Steel and Recycling, P.O. Box 376, Burlington, Washington 98233, U.S.A.

SKAGIT RIVER STEEL & RECYCLING, INC. NYLON 6.0 FISH NET COLLECTION SITES AS OF JANUARY 7, 2004 ACTIVITY LIST ~ BY COMMUNITY/SOURCE Sites Listed Are Those Which Have Participated In Some Years USA SOURCE ACTIVE INACTIVE ALASKA Dillingham 5,000#/2003 Kenai/UCIDA another vendor Naknek INACTIVE Cordova INACTIVE Petersburg INACTIVE Wrangell INACTIVE WASHINGTON Bellingham approx. 12,000#/yr. Skagit County ACTIVE Everett 3,000#/2003 Seattle 5,000#/early 2003 Anacortes approx. 10,000#/yr. Port Townsend INACTIVE Long Beach INACTIVE OREGON Astoria approx. 15,000#/yr. INDEPENDENT Gear Sheds sporadic Web Mfg. sporadic Fishermen sporadic Canneries sporadic Local Tribes INACTIVE Steve Hendrickson, Skagit River Steel and Recycling, Inc., 360-757-6096, shhend@nwlink.com

SKAGIT RIVER STEEL & RECYCLING, INC. Communities who have contact company regarding nets or other recycling but no activity to date ALASKA Nome Juneau Haines Yakatat Valdez Whittier Chenega Gay Tatitlek Homer Kodiak FLORIDA Tampa Fifty to 100 tons of nets had been collected. Only the lead lines had been removed. Weed lines/floats on and nets too tangled to be cleaned and recycled MEXICO Guaymas CANADA Newfoundland British Columbia Yukon/White Horse Information was also provided to individuals working in Guam and India but no further contacts. Steve Hendrickson, Skagit River Steel and Recycling, Inc., 360-757-6096, shhend@nwlink.com