Ghost Fishing- As Haunting as It Sounds
As Halloween approaches, I would like to take this time to discuss another “scary” issue that impacts the environment and marine organisms that inhabit the area known as ghost fishing. Ghost fishing is referred to as abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) that continuously entraps a variety of species [3]. When an organism is captured or entangled by ghost gear its chances of survival are low unless it somehow frees itself or is aided by a bystander. These captured species can deplete commercial fish stocks as well as endanger already depleted populations of endangered, threatened, and protected species. Ghost fishing has a widened effect on the environment as it also affects non-mobile parts of the ecosystem including damaging coral reefs and other benthic habitats [3]. Ghost fishing contributes to marine pollution and may also pose a navigational hazard in coastal and even freshwater areas [2].
Figure 1. The ghost fishing cycle (Olive Ridley Project, 2016).
Yes, you may think, fishing has gone on for decades and why is it necessary to do something about it now? When fishing first began, the gear was made from biodegradable material that degraded over time but, with technology advancements and the need for stronger materials, fishing gear is now made up of strong plastics. These plastics (i.e. polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene) do not biodegrade and if left alone will accumulate until removed [5]. It is estimated that ghost fishing gear accounts for over 10% of marine litter by volume with upwards of 640,000 tons of gear lost globally each year [5]. However, due to unstandardized assessment methods, globally this could be a gross underestimate [5]. The 10% may seem like an unsubstantial percentage but, due to ghost fishing working as a cycle, yearly inputs of ghost gear can accumulate and become insurmountable. Ironically, ghost fishing is caused by humans and only human intervention (removal of discarded gear) can break the cycle (Fig. 1).
A porbeagle shark entangled in a bait bag (blue rope around the pectoral fins) in the Bay of Fundy. Credit: Danielle Deonarine, 2020.
A large reason why ghost fishing gear is not retrieved is due to it being illegal to remove another fishermans gear. Gear set out usually has various identification tags marking the gear as a particular fishermans with buoys attached marking where the gear is. If a storm occurs and moves the gear to a different location of where it was set, and remains intact, it is difficult to determine if it is ghost gear or intended to be there. The ghost gear may also be moved to alternate locations due to an excessive amount of gear being used, snags, and interactions with other gear or vessels [3].
Ghost fishing is a global issue that requires a global effort to mitigate the effects on the environment. Research about ghost fishing began in the 1970s but knowledge and awareness about ghost fishing has increased [3]. The increase in knowledge and awareness has allowed the development of organizations focused solely on the removal of ghost fishing gear. Organizations like the Global Ghost Gear Initiative utilize a combined effort with multiple stakeholders from the fishing industry, private sectors, corporates, non-government organizations (NGOs), academia and various governments to develop projects combatting ghost fishing gear [1].
Ghost fishing is a global issue that can be associated with other types of pollution (soil contamination, noise pollution etc.) and influence others (microplastics). It may not necessarily be observed all the time unless you frequent an aquatic environment, but it is still a large issue affecting freshwater and marine species. There are various organizations globally that are attempting to remove ghost fishing gear from the environment with the help of various stakeholders. You may be asking yourself, what you can do to help? Here are some examples:
If you are out fishing, remember to leave the area as it was (or cleaner) when you arrived. Take out all your fishing line, ropes, and hooks. If you see fishing debris left by others, remove that as well.
If you are out exploring the water in a boat, canoe, or kayak and see large amounts of clearly discarded ropes, nets, or debris, attempt to safely remove it. If it is unsafe to do so, you can contact your local Department of Fisheries and Oceans office (marine), Department of Natural Resources (freshwater), or the Huntsman Marine Science Centre (if in the Fundy Region) in order to notify them and they can advise on the next steps to remove the debris safely.
If you go for a walk on the beach and see discarded fishing gear, remove it from the beach and bring it up to a central location by the parking lot. The Huntsman Marine Science Centre also has discarded rope collection bins on various wharves with the #debrisfreefundy initiative.
Participating in the Great Fundy Coastal Cleanup (August), International Coastal Cleanup Day (September 21) or other various cleanups that ACAP Saint John hosts such as the Port City Pickup (October 2020), the Marsh Creek Cleanup (yearly), Partridge Island Cleanup (September 2019), can also make an impact.
If you want to organize your own cleanup, contact ACAP Saint John and we can provide garbage bags and gloves for you to use. We will also coordinate with the City of Saint John to pick up and properly dispose of the garbage you find.
**If you see anything that looks like it could be part of licensed fishing activities (in the water, tagged with identification, and buoys), DO NOT remove it as it could be a fishermans set gear for a particular fishery and removing that is illegal.**
References
1. Global Ghost Gear Initiative. 2020. A global effort. Retrieved online: https://www.ghostgear.org/
2. Macfadyen, G., Huntington, T., Cappell, R. 2009. Abandoned, Lost or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (No. 523). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
3. NOAA Marine Debris Program. 2015. Report on the impacts of “ghost fishing” via derelict fishing gear. Silver Spring, MD. 25 pp.
4. Olive Ridley Project. 2017. Resources and publications. Retrieved online : https://oliveridleyproject.org/orp-mission/resources-and-publications
5. Stelfox, M., Hudgins, J., Sweet, M. 2016. A review of ghost gear entanglement amongst marine mammals, reptiles and elasmobranchs. Marine Pollution Bulletin 111, 6-17.