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Line marking refers to the use of specific line colors or marks to identify the fishery that is associated with gear involved in a marine life entanglement. Line marking:
- Enhances our ability to identify the gear involved in entanglements when buoys, pots, or tags are not visible, identifiable, or present.
- Improves information about the origin of entanglements allowing for more targeted future management decisions.
- Provides critical monitoring information needed to implement ODFW’s draft conservation plan that is currently in development for Oregon’s ocean commercial Dungeness crab fishery.
- Allows for more accurate entanglement accounting.
In September 2024, line marking requirements were adopted for the Oregon ocean commercial Dungeness crab fishery as part of a coordinated West Coast approach to improving gear identification. Those requirements include:
December 1, 2026: Dual-colored yellow and black line for all line between two buoys (excluding buoy gangions) or one set of solid yellow and black marks between any two buoys is required.
- For gear with a single buoy or no surface line other than buoy gangions, all line within one fathom of the attachment point of the main buoy must be dual-colored line or contain one set of solid marks.
December 1, 2028: Dual-colored yellow and black line for the upper 15 fathoms of the main line measured from the attachment point of the main buoy or three sets of solid yellow and black marks distributed with one near each end and one in the middle of the upper 15 fathoms are required.
- Up to five fathoms of line closest to the crab pot may be any color, including when crabbing with less than 20 fathoms of total line.
December 1, 2033: Dual-colored yellow and black line must be used to meet the surface and main line marking requirements above. Sets of solid marks are no longer permitted.
Marking specifications:
- Dual-colored line must have the majority yellow strands and at least 1/3 black strands.
- Each set of solid marks must cover the entire circumference of the line for at least two feet yellow within six inches of at least two feet black.
- Marks must be regularly serviced and maintained.
To ensure proper identification, line markings that are required in any West Coast fixed gear fisheries are prohibited from being used in any part of the gear fished in other recreational and commercial fixed gear fisheries in Oregon. The following line marking requirements are currently in place on the West Coast:
- Effective now: 12 continuous inches of red
- Effective Dec 1, 2025: Dual-colored red and black line with 2/3 of strands colored red and at least ⅓ of strands colored black or sets of solid red and black marks covering the entire circumference of the line for two feet red within six inches of two feet black or red line with sets of two solid black marks covering the entire circumference of the line for two feet each and spaced 12-24 inches apart.
- Effective Dec 1, 2026: Dual-colored yellow and black line with the majority of strands colored yellow and at least ⅓ of strands colored black or sets of solid yellow and black marks covering the entire circumference of the line for at least two feet yellow within six inches of at least two feet black.
- Effective now: Dual-colored purple and black line with two strands of purple and one strand of black or alternating solid purple and black painted marks of 6-12 inches in length covering the entirety (circumference) of the line.
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