This Wednesday, July 2, the summer recreational crabbing season opens in San Juan County. Simultaneously, volunteers from the local office of the WSU Beach Watchers Program will begin visiting selected docks throughout the county to hand out information about crab pot escape cords, and free samples of the cord.

Washington State Law requires crabbers to secure crab pot lids and escape panels with untreated, biodegradable, natural fiber cording, no larger than 1/8-inch in diameter. This insures that lost or abandoned crab pots will not continue to trap and kill crabs and other marine animals for the life of the pot.

Shann Weston, Program Coordinator for the WSU Beach Watchers Program in San Juan County, explained to a group of Orcas Island volunteers that most, but not all, new crab pots come equipped with biodegradable cording. “However, over time,” Weston said, “as the original cord breaks down, crabbers often unknowingly replace the natural fiber cord with a synthetic variety that can last underwater for years.”

In the Northwest Straits, an estimated 372,000 crabs die each year in lost or abandoned pots. Just one derelict crab pot kills an average of 75 crabs a year. Since natural fiber escape cord breaks down in a matter of weeks, the danger to marine life is quickly eliminated.

In the San Juans, official escape cord can be purchased at Eastsound Sporting Goods, but any 100 percent cotton cord (120 thread count or less) or other natural fiber strings such as sisal, jute or hemp will work and are legal.

For more information on escape cord, look for a friendly WSU Beach Watcher volunteer over the long 4th of July weekend, or log on to www.escapecord.org.

Sheila Gaquin retired from the Shaw Island School. She lives in Deer Harbor.