HYANNIS – State officials have announced new regulations for the cleanup of fishing gear debris, to go into effect as of Friday, January 30, 2026.
The new regulations will serve to rewrite old laws affording gear with property rights – a relic of the days when biodegradable wooden lathe traps made up a significant portion of in-use fishing gear – and will permit local leaders, community organizations, and partner groups to cleanup derelict gear, 9% or more of which is lost each year.
The decision was informed by a report produced by the Derelict Gear Task Force, a collaboration of state, fishing industry, and conservation partners established by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries in 2022.
“This is a significant step toward cleaning our waters of abandoned and derelict gear that no longer benefits our fishing community and instead makes our waters less hospitable for marine life,” said State Representative Kathleen LaNatra of Plymouth, who also serves as Co-Chair of the Coastal Caucus.
“These regulations,” she said, “demonstrate the progress we can achieve through common sense solutions when the fishing and lobstering community, environmental groups, the Legislature, and the Executive Branch work together toward a shared goal.”
“It has been a long time coming and we’re pleased that marine debris can legally be removed from our waters and shoreline in an efficient manner,” said Beth Casoni, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association.
“We look forward to working with local communities that organize beach cleanups and fishermen to effectively remove marine debris from our ocean.”
To view the Derelict Gear Task Force’s full report, click here.
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