California Tag in Washington Waters

April 23, 2020

Question: Here’s a photo of a tag that was found attached to rope entangled in kelp near the New Dungeness Lighthouse in Washington State. Can you identify what the tag is for and where it might have originated? (Mark)

Answer: You found a commercial Dungeness crab buoy tag for the biennial period of 2017–2019. Tags like these are attached to floating buoys on commercial crab pots. How interesting that it floated all the way up to Washington! Tags can become dislodged from lines for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they are cut by boat propellers, kelp stands or from floating logs dragging on the line. The tag you photographed originated in northern California. It isn’t of any use to the original permit holder, so we would consider it marine debris at this point. You can feel free to dispose of the tag.