GGGI Small Grant (2023) - Northwest Straits Foundation (USA)
Project Summary
Over 10,700 crab pots are lost each year in Washington’s Salish Sea (WASS) resulting in the loss of more than 142,000 harvestable size Dungeness crab each season. The recreational crabbing sector accounts for 86% of this gear loss, much of which occurs from user error. The Northwest Straits Foundation (NWSF) is working to reduce gear loss through its Catch More Crab recreational outreach campaign, educating crabbers on best practices to prevent pot loss for a healthy WASS.
In 2023, the NWSF expanded the scope of this campaign reaching over 624,000 individuals. Education was provided through distribution of print materials, instructional videos, advertisements in regional media, and in-person and virtual workshops hosted by NWSF in collaboration with state, tribal and community organizations. The reach of this campaign far exceeds reported numbers, which do not take into account regional media advertisements and instructional videos continually displayed on the Washington State Ferry system which had over 17 million passengers in the past year. Links to these instructional videos can be found below.
Although the videos below and the work they portray were not funded through the GGGI Small Grants Program, they are part of Northwest Straits Foundation’s (NWSF) Catch More Crab campaign, and are shared with permission from NWSF.
NWSF volunteers, Camano Island boat launch. Photo credit: Scott Chase.
NWSF crabber workshop. Photo credit: NWSF.
NWSF outreach event booth. Photo credit: NWSF.
NWSF materials licensing desk. Photo credit: Scott Chase.
