Lost and abandoned fishing gear, known as ghost gear, continues to catch and kill marine wildlife for years after abandonment. Entanglement is a major cause of suffering and mortality for marine mammals, turtles, and seabirds.
Ghost gear causes some of the most prolonged and severe suffering inflicted on marine wildlife. Entangled cetaceans, sea turtles, and seabirds face drowning, starvation, infection from rope injuries, and exhaustion from dragging heavy gear. The suffering can last days to weeks before death. Entanglement disproportionately affects large, slow-reproducing species already under pressure from other human impacts. Ghost gear retrieval, improved gear marking and tracking, and transition to biodegradable materials all address different parts of the problem. Consumer support for sustainable fisheries that implement gear management programmes creates market incentives for change.