Ghost gear refers to the lost and discarded fishing equipment that still catch fish long after being lost at sea. An estimated 640,000 tons of ghost gear finds its way into the oceans every year.
What Makes Ghost Gear So Dangerous?
Ghost gear is made up of plastic nets, lines, and traps which takes hundreds of years to decompose. Caught animals eventually starve or choke to death, some of them dying several months after getting caught.
How Big Is This Problem?
The World Wildlife Fund is confident that ghost gear makes up 500,000 to 1 million tons of lost fishing gear every year which constitutes a minimum of 10 percent of all marine debris. What proves to be even more dangerous is ghost gear’s effect on corals.
What Needs To Be Done?
Experts believe that prevention is the answer to the ghost gear problem. It is necessary to accomplish two things: to hold fishermen accountable for lost fishing gear and to ensure that recycling is financially beneficial.
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