KNOWRA

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Ghost Fishing Gear

Ghost fishing gear is abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing equipment that continues to trap marine animals, damaging habitats, and creating navigational hazards. This form of marine debris poses a significant global threat to ocean health and biodiversity. Addressing ghost gear requires a multi-pronged approach involving prevention, cleanup, innovation, and policy changes.

    Ghost fishing gear (GFG) refers to any fishing equipment (nets, lines, traps, FADs, etc.) that is lost, discarded, or abandoned in the ocean, coastal areas, or inland waterways.
    GFG is considered the deadliest form of marine debris due to its ability to continue fishing indiscriminately for years or even decades.
    Common types include gillnets, trawls, pots, traps, longlines, fishing lines, and fish aggregating devices (FADs).
    Estimates suggest that 640,000 to 800,000 tons of fishing gear are lost or discarded in the ocean each year.
    The problem is global, affecting all ocean basins, coastal areas, and even the deep sea.
    Nylon, polyethylene, and polypropylene are common plastic polymers used in fishing gear, contributing to its persistence in the environment.
    GFG is a major cause of entanglement for marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds, sharks, rays, fish, and invertebrates, often leading to injury, suffocation, starvation, or drowning.
    Entangled animals can suffer 'ghost fishing mortality', where they die in the gear and their decaying bodies can attract and entangle more animals.
    Large accumulations of GFG can smother sensitive marine habitats like coral reefs, kelp forests, and seagrass beds.
    Degradation of plastic fishing gear releases microplastics into the water column and sediments, contributing to plastic pollution throughout the marine food web.
    Ghost gear can introduce invasive species by acting as rafts, transporting organisms to new locations.
    GFG can alter seabed structure and water flow, impacting benthic communities.
    Harsh weather conditions and storms are significant drivers of gear loss.
    Interaction with underwater obstacles like rocks, wrecks, or pipelines can cause gear to snag and break off.
    Conflicts between different types of fisheries or with shipping traffic can lead to gear damage and loss.
    Intentional abandonment ('discards') can occur due to damaged gear, the need to evade authorities, or lack of proper disposal facilities.
    Unintentional loss can happen simply through operational error, gear failure, or overcrowding in fishing areas.
    Lack of access to or cost of port reception facilities for old or damaged gear can incentivize dumping at sea.
    GFG represents a significant financial loss for fishers due to replacement costs and lost fishing time.
    It can reduce catch efficiency and damage operational fishing gear.
    Large pieces of ghost gear pose serious navigational hazards to vessels, potentially causing damage to propellers or rudders.
    Cleanup efforts, while necessary, are costly for governments, organizations, and coastal communities.
    Ghost gear impacts tourism and recreational activities by littering beaches and fouling diving/snorkeling sites.
    It can affect the sustainability and profitability of fisheries by depleting fish stocks indiscriminately.
    Implementing mandatory gear marking schemes allows lost gear to be traced back to its owner, encouraging responsible disposal and discouraging abandonment.
    Developing and promoting the use of biodegradable or less durable materials for certain gear components can reduce persistence.
    Improving port reception facilities for unwanted fishing gear is crucial for reducing intentional discarding at sea.
    Supporting and funding 'gear retrieval' or 'fishing for litter' programs actively removes ghost gear from the ocean.
    Using technology like side-scan sonar, drones, and ROVs can help locate and map submerged ghost gear for targeted removal.
    Educating fishers and the public about the impacts of GFG and promoting best practices is essential.
    Developing and enforcing regulations regarding gear use, storage, and disposal is key to prevention.
    Implementing incentives for reporting lost gear or participating in retrieval efforts can be effective.

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