Environment

KEY POINTS

Ghost Fishing

·         It refers to lost or abandoned fishing gear that continues to capture fish and other marine animals after the gear is no longer under the control of a fisherman.

·         The problem of ghost gear in Indian oceans is getting to be a serious concern.

Impacts

·         Species mortality – One of the most significant impacts is the unintended deaths of target and non-target species (turtles, sea birds, whales and seals), which contribute to the overall depletion of populations.

·         One way ghost fishing is perpetuated is by the trapped and dead animals in the derelict fishing gear acting as bait, attracting and potentially entrapping more organisms.

·         Habitat – These ghost nets are often carried for thousands of km across the ocean floor through ocean currents and storm actions.

·         For example, discarded Indian and Thai fishing nets have been fished out of Maldivian coasts.

·         They destroy live corals and their associated inhabitants along the way.

·         When the derelict fishing gear, sinks to the bottom, it can also smother organisms that live on top of and just below the sediments, like seagrasses, crabs, and worms.

·         Economic impact – Some studies estimate that over 90% of species caught in derelict fishing gear are of commercial value, which can contribute to a significant loss of revenue for fishermen.

Preventive measures

·         Improvement of gear design to reduce likelihood of failure or snagging.

·         Spatial zoning of fisheries to avoid gear conflict and increase navigational awareness of gear in water.

·         Reducing ghost fishing efficiency of gear (improve biodegradable aspects for release or disabling of lost gear over time).

·         Provide affordable port disposal facilities and incentives to discourage improper disposal at sea.

·         Government should take steps to remove derelict fishing gear from oceans in collaboration with civil societies.

·         Outreach and education among fishing communities would also be crucial along with policy-level changes.

Innovative solutions

·         In countries like Canada and Thailand, fishermen retain their used nets and recycled it into yarn to craft socks and even carpet tiles.

·         In one instance in India, ghost nets hauled from Kerala’s Kollam have been used to pave roads.

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