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  • Multi-use Trail Hardening

Marine Debris Setnet Program

Mission:  Develop and promote stewardship, restoration and maintenance projects for coastlines.

Dates:  2009-2020

Summary: 
We conceived and coordinated this innovative program to remove marine debris from remote beaches near commercial set-net salmon fishing sites along the western and southern shores of Kodiak Island.

Background:

The greatest challenges to keeping Kodiak's 1500 miles of coastline free from marine debris is getting out to the remote coasts to collect, and then getting it back to a transfer facility for sorting and recycling.  To accomplish this, we needed a labor force, and a mechanism of delivery. 

The program works like this: Set net fisherman remove marine debris from coastlines near their respective fishing sites during fishing closures.  Once the fishery opens again and they are ready to deliver their catch to a tender vessel, they also transfer their marine debris.  The tender vessel delivers the marine debris simultaneously as it delivers fish.  The two do not compete for cargo space, nor do they contaminate one another--the seafood is kept below decks in a refrigerated sea water tank, the marine debris above decks and sealed in super sacks. 

Once the marine debris is delivered to the cannery back in Kodiak city,  it is transferred to Island Trails Network for sorting, shipping and eventual recycling.  

The innovative marine debris setnet program was possible through a partnership with individual salmon fishermen and seed funding from the Alaska Marine Stewardship Foundation nearly a decade ago.  The program resumed in 2019 under grants NFWF and starting in 2020, NOAA as well.

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We asked...

Who better to collect marine debris in remote places than fishermen who are already out there harvesting fish? 

What better mechanism for delivering marine debris than the one already in place, the one delivering Alaska's world-renowned seafood?


For Setnet Program Participants

Follow these simple steps to participate.

1. Request clean-up kit
You can submit a request through your Ocean Beauty or Pacific Seafoods tender, or directly to us.  The kit contains:
1 super sack marked with a unique ID (e.g. 19001)
15 yellow garbage bags
1 sharpie pen
1 pencil
1 Cover Sheet (this form)
1 Participant Reporting Form (or fill it out here)
4 Participant Agreement Forms (fill out one per volunteer or fill it out here)
1 ITN marine debris collection protocol

2. Complete participant agreements (ONE PER VOLUNTEER REQUIRED)
Complete the form online at www.islandtrails.org/release or mail the enclosed forms to Island Trails Network, PO Box 301, Kodiak AK 99615

3. Collect marine debris from your setnet site and/or nearby coastal areas. 
Be sure to read and comply with ITN marine debris clean-up protocol provided.

4.  Complete and submit the Participant Reporting Form (ONE FORM REQUIRED PER KIT)
Complete the form online at www.islandtrails.org/prf or mail the enclosed form to Island Trails Network, PO Box 301, Kodiak AK 99615. All forms must be received by October 1, 2020.

IMPORTANT: Please be sure to mark the form with the unique ID on your bag!

5.  Deliver marine debris to your tender
Make sure each bag or supersack is labeled with your site name so we can identify it as yours (you may use the sharpie provided).  Alternatively, you may deliver to Kodiak yourself and deliver to ITN using contact information below.

6. Repeat steps 2-6. 
Additional clean-up kits are available by request from tenders, or by request to ITN.

Point of Contact:
Hana Reyes, Marine Programs Coordinator
hana@islandtrails.org
907-205-5222

Downloads

Clean-up Protocols

Download

Participant Agreement

Complete Online (NEW!)
Download

Participant Reporting Form

Complete Online
Download

Island Trails Network 326 Center Ave Suite 206 - Kodiak, Alaska - 99615 -  (907) 205-5222 - info@islandtrails.org
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