‘ Ghost gear’ puts ocean wildlife at risk

UP TO a million tonnes of fishing gear is left in the ocean each year, creating “deadly” marine debris for wildlife, conservationists have warned.

This “ghost gear” of lost, abandoned or broken nets, lines and ropes makes up at least 10 per cent of marine litter and is the type of plastic debris most likely to prove fatal to marine mammals, seabirds and sea turtles, WWF said.

In a report on the issue, the wildlife charity warned that ghost gear also damages valuable sea habitats and tourism spots and continues to catch fish after it has been lost – hitting commercial catches of fish stocks. WWF is calling for more governments to join leaders from 40 countries who are supporting a new UN treaty on marine plastic pollution, and for it to include effective measures to control ghost gear.

And it is urging countries to join the Global Ghost Gear Initiative,

an alliance of the fishing industry, businesses, campaign groups, academics and governments, focused on solving the problem worldwide.

Somewhere between 500,000 and one million tonnes of fishing gear is left in the ocean each year, with fishers unable to locate or retrieve it or discarding it to conceal illegal fishing activities, the report said.

Marine debris affects twothirds of marine mammals, such as porpoises, half of seabirds and all species of sea turtles. Sarah Young, head of marine policy at WWF, said: “Our ocean is the unsung hero in the fight against the climate crisis. The planet would today already be 35C hotter without the ocean to protect us. But the ocean cannot protect us if we do not protect it in turn, and currently nature is in freefall.”

She said “we are destroying wildlife and vital marine habitats”.