Councilor Sullivan brought up the topic of abandoned fishing gear, saying that he had heard that many Long Island Sound lobstermen were leaving the fishery and just leaving their gear in the water. He asked what could be done to address this problem, as these ghost pots are becoming very numerous and may represent a serious problem for restoration of the lobster population in the Sound. Mr. Colvin said, that prior to the current budgeting problems within the DEC, they were planning on outfitting a vessel with equipment necessary to remove the gear but he’s not sure where they stand right now. He will look into this issue and get back to the Council at the next meeting with some possible suggestions.