Agencies working to prevent crabbers from grounding ferries

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) - State agencies are working together to prevent crabbers from grounding ferries with improperly placed crab pots.

The Daily Herald reports a single pot can cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

Last year, three vessels had to be repaired after crabbing lines were caught in the propellers, resulting in nearly 800 canceled rides.

Snohomish County says about 12,000 pots are lost in the Puget Sound area every year.

With beginning of crabbing season approaching in northwest Washington, volunteers from the Snohomish County Marine Resources Committee and Washington State University Extension Beach Watchers will be at local docks this weekend handing out free rot cords for pots and crab measuring tools.

Rot cords are made of biodegradable cotton which will dissolve in the water if pots are left out for too long.

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Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com