Our oceans are haunted

How “ghost fishing” is devastating our marine environments

Ghost fishing. Sounds eerie, right? Unfortunately, it is indeed as eerie as it sounds. Ghost fishing occurs when lost or abandoned fishing gear stays in the ocean and traps fish or other marine life, indiscriminately killing whatever it catches.

Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), as it is known officially, is being recognized as a topic that we must tackle now for the sake of our marine environment and the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on it. At least 640 000 tonnes of fishing gear is thought to be lost or abandoned in the oceans every year. FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimate that one tenth of all waste in the oceans is made up of this “ghost gear”.