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  • Fishing nets can get tangled around many things, such as kelp or rocks, and be left behind to wreak havoc for many years.
  • A diver cuts an abandoned fishing net loose so it can be hauled away.
  • Abandoned fishing gear such as this net can kills fish, birds and diving mammals looking for food.
  • These bird carcasses were found in abandoned fishing nets. The birds dive to find fish to eat and get tangled in the old nets.
  • Side-scanning sonar will help locate lost and abandoned fishing gear so it can be removed.
  • Eric Delvin, community conservation coordinator for The Nature Conservancy, on the Grays Harbor Derelict Gear Removal Project in September, 2011.
The Nature Conservancy
What Lies Beneath