DFG in the water

DERELICT FISHING GEAR BOUNTY

Marine debris, especially abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), also known as derelict fishing gear (DFG), threatens Hawaiian marine life and ecosystems daily - entangling marine life, damaging coral reefs and posing navigational hazards for vessels.

 

 

The Bounty Project tackles this issue by rewarding commercial fishers for retrieving DFG from the North Pacific Ocean and seeks to accelerate removal of plastic marine debris.

  

 

Together we are making our waters safer, supporting local fishers, and reducing ocean pollution.

 

bounty fishers

How the bounty works

After detecting and retrieving DFG while out at sea, fishers receive compensation - $1-$3 per dry pound - based on the type of DFG that is brought back to shore.

 

This DFG is then sorted, studied, and recycled when possible - helping us better understand how to combat the issue

 

FIND OUT MORE

map of bounty events

where we operate

The Bounty Project focuses on the waters surrounding Hawaiʻi in the North Pacific Ocean and the waters and shoreline of the Island of Oʻahu.


Hawaiʻi is heavily impacted by marine debris due to its proximity to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), a highly concentrated area of marine debris, and fishers collaborating with us often fish within and remove debris from the GPGP.

VIEW MAP

OUR PROGRESS SO FAR

Since November 2022, the project has removed over 28,441 kg - equivalent to 62,701 lbs - of derelict fishing gear from the North Pacific Ocean and Oʻahu waters and shoreline.

 

Quantity of DFG removed to date

 

 

JOIN THE EFFORT

Today, over 50 fishers are participating in this project. Are you a commercial fisher and want to be paid for derelict fishing gear removal? 

 

REGISTER HERE