Ghost Fishing Gear Marine Welfare

Lost and abandoned fishing gear continues to trap and kill marine animals for years. Retrieval and prevention programmes are improving.

Key Facts

An estimated 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear is lost or abandoned at sea annually
Lost gear continues to catch fish, marine mammals, sea turtles and seabirds for years
Gillnets are particularly dangerous ghost gear due to their design
NOAA estimates hundreds of thousands of whales and dolphins die in ghost nets annually
The Global Ghost Gear Initiative brings together industry, government and NGOs
Some fisheries have adopted gear marking requirements to identify and recover lost gear
Biodegradable gear materials including organic twines are being developed and tested

Welfare Considerations

Ghost fishing gear causes prolonged suffering - entangled animals may take days or weeks to die through drowning, starvation, or injury. Unlike bycatch deaths from active fishing, ghost gear mortality is purely wasteful with no fisheries benefit. Prevention through gear marking, retrieval requirements and biodegradable materials can significantly reduce this source of marine animal suffering.

What You Can Do

Support marine conservation organisations running ghost gear retrieval programmes
Choose seafood from fisheries with gear marking and recovery requirements
Advocate for mandatory gear marking and loss reporting requirements in all fisheries
Donate to the Global Ghost Gear Initiative or equivalent regional programmes