You should also expect to find flotsam and floating debris hung up in your gear periodically. Many farmers in Alaska have noticed that large rafts of floating bull kelp can wrap their lines, and strip off early growth. Some farmers have reported needing to remove an entire floating tree from their farms. On the East Coast, some farmers have reported buoys from fishing gear tangling in the gear.

If this happens on your farm, you’ll want to attempt to do your best to untangle the debris from your gear while causing the least disruption to your growlines. You might need to tow the offending debris a ways away from your farm site to ensure it doesn’t get tangled again. If fishing gear is tangled in your arrays, try your best to untangle the gear and contact the owner. Permit information should be written on the side of the buoy. Try your best not to cut any fishing gear that has entangled in your line – it pays to create goodwill between fishermen and farmers.