Cleaning up this debris will help protect marine life and improve public safety.
Division of Marine Fisheries. Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), USA, has announced new state regulations to clean up fishing gear debris in order to protect marine biodiversity and public safety.
These new guidelines, developed in collaboration with the fishing industry, conservation organizations, law enforcement agencies, and municipal leaders, will allow for the earlier removal of abandoned, lost, or derelict fishing gear.
"We are grateful to the Legislature's Coastal Caucus, lobster industry, and conservation community, who all played an important role in advocating for this change to greatly enhance our capacity to clean up fishing gear debris with partners," expressed DMF Director Dan McKiernan.
Also, they will continue to focus on protecting active fishing gear and minimizing conflicts on the water. These regulations will come into force on 30 January 2026.
"Fishing gear debris is a threat to marine life, a safety hazard for mariners, a persistent problem on our beaches, and a costly burden for municipalities to clean up. We look forward to this significant boost in our capacity to address this growing issue," said Massachusetts Environmental Police Colonel John Monaghan.
The previous regulation referred to a time when much of the fishing gear was recoverable and made from biodegradable materials, such as wooden slat traps. However, today, fishing gear debris mainly consists of plastic-coated metal traps, which are not biodegradable and are often not recoverable.
In 2022, the DMF established the Derelict Fishing Gear Task Force, which produced a report outlining strategies to address this growing problem. In 2025, state legislation was amended to allow cleanup efforts for the first time since 1940.
"We are grateful to all the champions in the legislature, across the industry, and the conservation community who came together to call for this much-needed change and look forward to continued partnership to host cleanups in each of our 78 coastal communities," concluded Department of Fish & Game Commissioner Tom O’Shea.