With shallow-water dives done, the program to retrieve and remove fish-killing derelict gear will once again plunge into the bone-chilling depths of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Hood Canal this winter.
In the next phase, however, wetsuit-wearing divers will be replaced by a remotely operated robotic underwater vehicle capable of pulling up lost crab pots and gill nets as deep as 300 feet, project officials say.
The derelict gear program is expected in January to return to the mouth of Dungeness Bay, where the vehicle will retrieve lost fishing gear between Protection Island and Dungeness Spit.
“We actually lost our window this fall, and probably will not do it again until January or February, depending on weather,” said Jeff June, the derelict gear program’s project manager.
Waters clearer in winter
June, who has been working more than three years under contract with Clallam, Jefferson and five other shoreline counties, said winter waters are relatively algae free, making visibility better for derelict gear removal.
June, Natural Resources Consultants Inc. chief scientist for field studies in Seattle, said a leased remote operating vehicle was being tested last week in waters near Port Susan.
The vehicle is scheduled to be used next month between Camano Island and Kayak Point, north of Everett, he said.
The vehicle will be leased from the Innerspace Exploration Team, a treasure hunting operation based in Redmond, said June.
