Another ghost fishing candidate. At approximately 15m this particular cage isn’t a problem in itself. It’s the excessive line that floats around and potentially gets entangled in the next fisherman’s line.
Fishermen typically throw in their cages near other fishermens’ buoys. Unfortunately, few seem to pay attention to how much line that goes out. A standard lobster cage line is 34m. Even when less than half of it goes out with the cage, most of them just throw the excess line in the water.
Why not move the cage to the appropriate depth?
This excessive line can easily become entangled in other lines nearby. The “winner” who gets there first will have the pleasure of pulling up two or more cages and sort out the tangle of lines. Add some rough weather to the scenario, and the unlucky fisherman may be forced to cut the lines or just dump everything in order to ensure own safety.
With todays precise maps and echo sounders there really is no reason for fishing in walls, on ledges or steep slopes where cages or lines are at risk. Of sinking too deep, or floating around.
Lines needs to be adjusted to the depth you are fishing at. A line too short is bad, but a line too long is only a little bit less bad.