Monday, February 2, 2026
Tarr in the News: Cleanup of 'Ghost Gear
TARR IN THE NEWS | 1.28.26
'New Rules Allow Cleanup of 'Ghost' Gear | Gloucester Daily Times
By Christian Wade
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EXCERPT BELOW:
Legislation filed by Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, authorized the state Division of Marine Fisheries — with the approval of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission and the Department of Fish and Game — to set the regulations allowing the removal of fishing gear from state waters.
Under previous law, commercial fishing gear was considered private property and couldn’t be removed when it became dislodged and sunk to the ocean floor or washed up on the shore. Backers of the changes say abandoned fishing gear poses a threat to the marine environment and ecosystems.
“Left unchecked, abandoned fishing gear poses several threats to our marine environment and ecosystems,” Tarr said. “It ‘ghost fishes,’ increasing mortality without any harvest benefit, presents a major risk of entanglement for right whales and other marine species, clutters and pollutes the ocean floor, and creates ongoing problems for coastal communities when it washes ashore and must be collected and disposed of before it causes further damage.”
The new rules also include protections for commercial fishermen, including a provision that clarifies it is unlawful to “take, use, destroy, injure or molest” traps, lines and other gear “without the consent of the owner.”"
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