The Fosses’ son Max with a skiff full of debris. Photo courtesy Jacquie Foss.
In a typical summer, Sitka fisherman Jacquie Foss and her family travel hundreds of miles around Southeast Alaska, averaging only eight miles an hour. While their profession affords them countless hours to admire Southeast’s rugged coasts, it also exposes them to something Foss finds concerning: an awful lot of litter.
“Without healthy habitat, there are no fish. Without fish, there are no fishermen,” said Foss. “[Fishing here] is more than just a livelihood, it’s our home and way of life. Commercial fishermen want to use our knowledge and experience to protect it.”
That mindset led to action. Last May and June, Foss and her husband Zachary led nine cleanup trips across southern Baranof Island with support from Alaska Sea Grant’s Alaska Center for Marine Debris. With the help of deckhands, their children, and their corgi Tiger, the Fosses spent 20 days collecting more than 10,000 pounds of debris from the shoreline and hauling it away aboard their 42-foot salmon troller F/V Axel.
Foss said the rough terrain and piles of logs on Baranof’s rocky beaches made collecting the litter a challenge. “We spent four times longer digging out debris than we did carrying it away,” she recounted. “When you normally get paid for how much you produce rather than how much time you spend on it, cleaning up marine debris takes a different kind of motivation.”
While the Fosses are making their own dent in Southeast Alaska’s marine debris, Jacquie Foss said their larger goal is to encourage the use of commercial fishing fleets in cleanup efforts. She noted that many commercial fishers already have the equipment and machinery required to conduct cleanups, as well as the specialized knowledge to maximize their efforts in remote, rugged environments. “We know our home waters. We know the currents, the weather, and the catchy beaches where debris accumulates,” she said.
The Fosses have formed marine debris-related collaborations with other commercial fishermen, as well as organizations including the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, Ocean Conservancy, and the Sitka Sound Science Center. They also record observations for the Skipper Science Partnership. Through these connections, Jacquie and Zachary Foss are working to raise awareness of marine debris, as well as build reporting tools and networks to coordinate debris removal efforts across Southeast Alaska.
The Fosses’ cleanup of Baranof Island is one of 17 projects supported over the past three years as part of the Alaska Center for Marine Debris Community-Led Marine Debris Removal program, funded by the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Jacquie Foss noted that it’s challenging for small businesses like commercial fishing operations to receive NOAA grants, which are typically aimed towards nonprofits and government entities. “I’m very grateful to NOAA and Alaska Sea Grant for creating this opportunity,” she said.
Foss said the family plans to conduct more cleanups this summer, and they hope to make them an annual staple in the Southeast Alaska.
