NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco, along with other NOAA officials, will join representatives from the Oregon fishing industry and state representatives to celebrate the successful completion of one project and inaugurate a new partnership to remove derelict crab pots and other marine debris in Oregon’s coastal fishing waters in a dockside event in Newport, Ore., this Saturday.
The ceremony will mark the successful culmination of the Oregon Fishing Industry Partnership to Restore Marine Habitat, initially funded with a $699,000 grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and led by NOAA, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, and the Oregon State Police.
The success of the recovery act project, which began in 2009 has inspired a new industry-led partnership to continue the derelict crab pot removal effort.
The debris removal effort, which began in 2009, has helped Oregon both economically and ecologically, contributing to a healthier ocean and a sustainable Dungeness crab fishery. In addition to removing nearly 160 tons of debris including more than 3,000 derelict pots from the marine environment, the project has created jobs and other economic benefits along the coast. This transition serves as a model for other partnerships where federal and state “seed” funding can evolve into industry-led efforts.
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