Brian Barton
Fishing nets and other gear abandoned in the ocean, known as ghost gear, are a significant source of ocean plastic pollution. While it is difficult to assess the sources of marine plastics, particularly once they become microplastics, some estimates indicate that ghost gear makes up 10% of ocean plastic pollution and forms the majority of large plastic in the water. A 2018 study found that 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area twice the size of Texas, was comprised of fishing nets. Another study found that 75% to 86% of all plastic waste in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch came from offshore fishing activity. The issue of ghost gear has severe consequences for marine life, as nets and lines can entangle and suffocate animals for years or decades.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of ocean plastic pollution that is ghost gear | 10% |
| Amount of nets, lines, pots and traps used in commercial fishing dumped in the sea every year | 640,000 tonnes |
| Percentage of plastic waste in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that is from offshore fishing activity | 75% to 86% |
| Amount of plastic waste in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that is fishing nets | 46% |
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What You'll Learn
Abandoned fishing nets are dangerous to marine life
Abandoned fishing nets, also known as "ghost nets", are a major source of ocean plastic pollution, affecting marine life in several ways. They are responsible for the decline in some fish populations, the entanglement and suffocation of marine animals, and the disruption of critical marine habitats.
Fishing nets and other gear that are lost or discarded in the ocean can continue to kill marine life for years or decades. According to Greenpeace, more than 640,000 tonnes of nets, lines, pots, and traps used in commercial fishing are dumped in the sea every year. This abandoned fishing gear makes up the majority of large plastic pollution in the oceans, with ghost nets accounting for about 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Ghost nets are particularly deadly as they indiscriminately entangle and suffocate marine animals, including fish, sharks, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, seals, and marine birds. It is estimated that more than 70% of marine animal entanglements involve abandoned plastic fishing nets. In one instance, a pregnant whale was found entangled in ghost gear off the Orkney coast, and in another, about 300 sea turtles were found dead off the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, as a result of entanglement in ghost gear.
Sea turtles are especially vulnerable to abandoned fishing gear, as it washes up on their nesting beaches, trapping mother turtles when they come to lay their eggs, and preventing their hatchlings from reaching the sea. In addition, ghost nets can damage critical marine habitats such as coral reefs and contribute to the loss of commercially valuable fish stocks, impacting the sustainability of fisheries and the livelihoods of people who depend on fishing.
The persistence of ghost nets in the oceans is due in part to poor regulation and slow political progress in creating ocean sanctuaries that are off-limits to industrial fishing. While some organizations, such as the WWF and Sea Shepherd, are actively working to remove abandoned nets and establish gear collection and recycling programs, more comprehensive action is needed. Greenpeace and others are calling for international treaties and better regulation of the fishing industry to address the problem of ghost gear and reduce its deadly impact on marine life.
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Ghost gear is a major source of ocean plastic pollution
Ghost gear, or abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), is a significant contributor to ocean plastic pollution. It includes nets, lines, ropes, and traps used in commercial fishing that continue to trap and kill marine animals long after they have been abandoned. Ghost gear makes up an estimated 10% of ocean plastic pollution but forms the majority of large plastic litter in the water. It is particularly prevalent in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area of plastic accumulation in the North Pacific, where it is estimated that 75% to 86% of all plastic waste comes from offshore fishing activity.
Fishing gear can get entangled on reefs, rocks, and other obstructions, or lost due to bad weather, extended soak times, deep-sea fishing, or excessive gear deployment. This gear can take decades to break down and, in the meantime, continues to ensnare marine life, from small fish and crustaceans to endangered turtles, seabirds, and even whales. It also physically damages marine habitats, such as coral reefs and mangroves, and disrupts feeding and breeding grounds, exacerbating the decline in fish and other commercial aquatic animal populations.
The issue of ghost gear is particularly pressing due to the growing global demand for seafood, which has led to an increase in large-scale fishing operations and, in turn, more ghost gear and its associated impacts. The plastic that makes up ghost gear can absorb harmful chemicals from the seawater, which then enter the bodies of animals that ingest the plastic through a process called bioaccumulation. These toxins can have detrimental effects on marine life, disrupting hormones and impairing development and even causing death.
Efforts to combat ghost gear include removing abandoned nets from the water, establishing gear collection and recycling programs, developing tools to track and recover gear, and advocating for improved gear management and more sustainable fishing practices. Some organizations, such as the WWF, are calling on governments, fishing gear designers and manufacturers, and fishers to take action and eliminate the threat of ghost gear through preventive policies and practices.
Overall, ghost gear is a significant source of ocean plastic pollution, with far-reaching impacts on marine life, habitats, and ecosystems. Addressing this issue requires collaboration and concerted efforts from various stakeholders, including the fishing industry, governments, and environmental organizations.
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Nets can kill marine life for decades
Lost, abandoned, and discarded fishing nets, also known as "ghost nets", are the biggest source of plastic pollution in the ocean. They are responsible for killing marine life for decades, and their presence in the ocean has been described as a "silent killer".
Ghost nets can kill marine life in several ways. One of the most common is entanglement, where animals such as fish, seals, sea lions, turtles, dolphins, whales, seabirds, and crustaceans become entangled in the nets. If they do not die from the injuries sustained during entanglement, they may suffocate or starve, trapped and unable to return to the surface for air. In some cases, ghost nets can wrap around an animal's body, causing painful injuries or preventing them from moving and feeding.
Ghost nets can also damage coral reefs, levelling reefs and killing the animals that live there. They can transport invasive species to new areas and can be ingested by marine animals, leading to injury or death. The nets can join the great floating garbage patches in the ocean, where they continue to pose a threat to marine life.
The issue of ghost nets is a global one, with reports of entanglement and deaths of marine animals due to abandoned fishing gear coming from Mexico, the Orkney coast, the UK, the Mediterranean Sea, the Sea of Cortez, and the Pacific Ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area of plastic accumulation in the North Pacific, is largely composed of fishing-related plastic waste, with 75% to 86% of all plastic waste in the patch identified as coming from offshore fishing activity.
Efforts are being made to address the problem of ghost nets. Organisations such as World Animal Protection (WAP), Sea Shepherd, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) are working with governments, businesses, and fishing organisations to remove existing ghost nets and prevent more nets from being left in the ocean. The WWF is calling on governments to join an alliance to stop marine plastic pollution and is asking fishing gear designers and manufacturers to innovate new, traceable fishing gear. Hawaii's Nets-to-Energy program has recycled more than 800 tons of ghost fishing nets, and South Korea has also been working to reduce marine debris.
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Poor regulation and slow political progress enable the problem
Fishing nets and gear make up a significant proportion of ocean pollution, with nets alone constituting 86% of the plastic waste in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The issue is exacerbated by poor regulation and slow political progress in creating ocean sanctuaries that are off-limits to industrial fishing. This lack of effective governance allows the problem to persist and grow.
The under-regulation of the fishing industry has been identified as a key factor contributing to the problem of ocean pollution from fishing gear. Inadequate government capacity and cooperation hinder the management, regulation, and control of fisheries and the fisheries trade, especially in developing nations and on the high seas. The lack of systems to track fish from catch to consumer, known as traceability, and the opacity of supply chains in much of the sector, further compound the issue.
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing nets criminals billions of dollars each year, and this illegal fishing is estimated to account for up to 30% of catches for high-value species. The lack of import controls and enforcement exacerbates the problem, allowing illegal catches to move through supply chains with relative ease.
Slow political progress in creating ocean sanctuaries that are off-limits to industrial fishing is another critical factor enabling the problem. A comprehensive framework for marine protection is needed, paving the way for a global network of protected ocean areas. Greenpeace and other organizations have called for a UN treaty to address this issue and protect our global oceans from the dangers of plastic pollution, specifically including ghost gear.
The WWF is working with various stakeholders, including fishers, government agencies, and fishing gear designers, to address the issue of ghost gear. They are advocating for the development and use of traceable fishing gear and encouraging fishers to retrieve and report any lost gear. They are also calling on governments to join an alliance to stop marine plastic pollution and support a global binding treaty on the issue.
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River emissions are the largest source of plastic pollution in oceans
While abandoned fishing gear is a major source of ocean plastic pollution, river emissions are the largest source of plastic pollution in the oceans. More than 1000 rivers account for 80% of global riverine plastic emissions into the ocean, ranging between 0.8 million and 2.7 million metric tons per year. Small urban rivers are among the most polluting, and the largest emitters tend to have cities nearby, with paved surfaces where water and plastic can drain into river outlets.
The probability of mismanaged plastic waste entering the ocean is much higher in countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Identifying where plastic emissions are coming from is crucial to tackling the problem. Rich countries emit very little, so domestic strategies in these countries will not significantly impact ocean plastics. Instead, they can support low-to-middle-income countries in improving waste management infrastructure and banning the export of plastics to other countries where they may be mismanaged.
The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organization dedicated to ridding the world's oceans of plastic, has developed Interceptor Solutions to halt and extract riverine plastic before it reaches the ocean. They have also published research showing that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is largely composed of fishing-related plastic waste, with 75-86% of all plastic waste in the GPGP coming from offshore fishing activity.
Ghost gear, or abandoned fishing gear, is estimated to make up 10% of ocean plastic pollution and forms the majority of large plastic littering the waters. It can pose a threat to wildlife for years or decades, entangling and suffocating marine life. To address the problem of ghost gear, the WWF collaborates with fishers, government agencies, and others to remove abandoned nets, establish gear collection and recycling programs, and develop tools for better tracking and recovery of gear.
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Frequently asked questions
Fishing nets make up nearly half of the world's plastic ocean pollution. Abandoned fishing nets are dangerous to marine life, entangling and suffocating countless fish, sharks, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, seals and marine birds.
Organisations like Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace are actively working to remove abandoned nets from the ocean and are urging governments to take effective action on ghost fishing gear. The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organisation, is developing large-scale systems to efficiently concentrate plastic for periodic removal and has also developed Interceptor Solutions to halt and extract riverine plastic before it reaches the ocean.
Individuals can support the work of organisations like Sea Shepherd and The Ocean Cleanup through donations and volunteering. It is also important to contact government representatives to push for stronger regulations and policies to address ocean plastic pollution, specifically related to the fishing industry.
