Ocean Fishing: Plastic's Unseen Cost

Plastic pollution in the ocean is a pressing issue, with billions of pounds of plastic making up about 40% of the world's ocean surfaces. A significant contributor to this crisis is the fishing industry, which is responsible for 75-86% of plastic waste in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the world's largest accumulation of floating ocean plastic. This waste includes abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear, such as nets, lines, ropes, and traps, which can result from entanglement, conflicts with vessels, or bad weather. The primary sources of this fishing gear are industrialised fishing nations like the US, China, Japan, and South Korea. While rivers are the largest overall source of ocean plastic pollution, the impact of fishing activities cannot be overstated, especially in specific areas like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Fishing gear is a major contributor to ocean plastic

Plastic waste in the ocean is a pressing global crisis. Marine capture fisheries are a significant source of plastic waste in the oceans, with fishing gear contributing immensely to this pollution. Fishing gear, such as nets, lines, ropes, and traps, is designed to be durable and survive in the water for extended periods. When this equipment is lost or discarded at sea, it becomes "ghost gear," continuing to entangle and trap marine life.

Research by The Ocean Cleanup organization reveals that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), the world's largest accumulation of floating ocean plastic, comprises 75% to 86% of plastic waste from offshore fishing activities. This waste includes fishing nets and ropes, as well as hard plastic objects and fragments. The GPGP, located in the north-central Pacific Ocean, is an area three times the size of France, emphasizing the magnitude of the problem.

Fishing gear accounts for a significant proportion of plastic debris in the ocean, ranging from 50% to 100% in certain parts. This waste originates from industrialized fishing nations such as the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea, which are major contributors to the GPGP. The unique challenge with fishing gear is that it is often emitted far from coastlines, making it less likely to return to shore naturally.

Additionally, the intentional discarding of fishing gear, including illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing practices, significantly contributes to the ghost gear in the sea, especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction. As global demand for seafood rises, large-scale fishing operations expand, exacerbating the ghost gear issue and its detrimental impact on marine life. According to the WWF, fishing waste poses a threat to 66% of marine animals, including all sea turtle species and 50% of seabirds.

To address the problem of fishing gear contributing to ocean plastic, solutions such as biodegradable fishing gear and equipment designs that facilitate recycling are essential. Additionally, reducing seafood consumption and transitioning to plant-rich diets can help scale down industrial fishing operations, thereby lessening the impact of ghost gear on marine ecosystems and the overall health of our oceans.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is largely composed of fishing-related waste

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is a gyre of plastic debris in the north-central Pacific Ocean. It is the largest accumulation of plastic in the world, covering an area three times the size of France. The GPGP is composed of an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of microplastics, weighing 79,000 metric tons.

A study published in September 2022 by The Ocean Cleanup in the journal Scientific Reports revealed that 75% to 86% of the plastic waste in the GPGP comes from offshore fishing activity. This includes fishing nets, which make up 46% of the trash, and other fishing industry gear such as ropes, oyster spacers, eel traps, crates, and baskets. The study analyzed over 6,000 plastic objects and found that major industrialized fishing nations, including the United States, China, Japan, and Korea, are the primary producers of the fishing waste found in the GPGP.

The high percentage of fishing-related waste in the GPGP is notable because, at a global level, emissions from rivers are the largest source of plastic pollution in the oceans. However, the GPGP is located far from any major river systems, indicating that fishing activities are a significant source of plastic pollution in this specific region.

The presence of abandoned fishing gear in the GPGP poses a significant threat to marine life. Ghostnets, or purposely discarded or accidentally lost netting, can entangle and harm whales, seals, turtles, and other marine animals. It is estimated that 100,000 marine animals are affected by plastic entanglement each year. Additionally, plastic ingestion is a major issue, with fish in the North Pacific ingesting 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic annually, leading to intestinal injuries and death.

Addressing the issue of plastic pollution in the GPGP requires a multi-faceted approach. While river emissions remain a core priority for reducing plastic pollution globally, efforts to stop fishing gear inputs are crucial for the success of cleanup initiatives in the GPGP. Organizations and the fishing industry must work together to address this other source of plastic pollution.

Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear harms marine life

Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) has profound adverse effects on marine life. Also called derelict fishing gear, ALDFG includes nets, lines, and ropes that make up about 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the world's largest accumulation of floating ocean plastic. This marine plastic has earned the name "ghost fishing gear" due to its deadly effect on wildlife.

Ghost fishing gear is the most lethal form of marine plastic. It indiscriminately entraps wildlife, entangling marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, and sharks, leading to a slow and agonizing death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It also harms coral reefs and other critical marine habitats. Moreover, it undermines the sustainability of fisheries and the livelihoods of those who depend on fishing.

The adverse consequences of ALDFG extend beyond immediate physical harm. ALDFG contributes to the transfer of microplastics and toxins into marine food webs, exacerbating the spread of invasive species and harmful microalgae. The obstruction of navigation and in-use fishing gear, as well as the degradation of habitats, further compound the negative impact on coastal socioeconomic values, aesthetics, and utility.

The risk of ALDFG varies with gear type and fishing method. Gear with higher production rates, greater weight, and larger fishing grounds areas pose a higher risk. Examples include gillnets, tuna purse seine with fish aggregating devices, and bottom trawl fisheries. Some gear may be lost due to theft, especially in developing country fisheries, but this often remains in use, reducing the overall impact on the environment.

To mitigate the highest risks posed by ALDFG, global and local actions are necessary. Globally, addressing the ALDFG from gillnet, tuna purse seine, and bottom trawl fisheries can yield maximum conservation gains. Locally, implementing effective monitoring, surveillance, and enforcement systems, as well as adopting controls following a sequential mitigation hierarchy, are crucial to curbing ALDFG from problematic fisheries.

The fishing industry must play a role in ocean cleaning

Plastic accumulating in our oceans and on our beaches has become a global crisis. Billions of pounds of plastic are now present in the ocean, with studies estimating that there are 15–51 trillion pieces of plastic in the world's oceans, from the equator to the poles, the sea floor to the Arctic ice sheets. At current rates, plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is a gyre of plastic debris in the north-central Pacific Ocean and is the largest accumulation of plastic in the world. It is largely composed of fishing-related plastic waste, with 75% to 86% of all plastic waste in the GPGP coming from offshore fishing activity. Major industrialized fishing nations, including the United States, China, Japan, and Korea, are the principal producers of the fishing waste found in the GPGP.

Fishing gear makes up 50–100% of plastic debris found in parts of the ocean. Derelict fishing nets and traps are extremely difficult to recover and dispose of. The Fishing for Energy program, a partnership between Covanta Energy Corporation, NFWF, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc., has removed more than two million pounds of lost or discarded fishing gear from the sea since 2008. The program provides collection sites at ports in nine states, offers incentives to fishermen for at-sea removal of debris, and recycles the gear to generate a renewable source of electricity for local communities.

While emissions from rivers remain the largest source of plastic pollution into the oceans, the significant contribution of the fishing industry cannot be overlooked. To ensure that efforts to clean up the GPGP are sustainable, the inflow of plastic from fishing gear must be stopped. The fishing industry must play a role in ocean cleaning by addressing this other source of plastic pollution and devising strategies to expand gear recovery efforts.

Plastic waste from fishing threatens marine ecosystems

Plastic waste from fishing poses a severe threat to marine ecosystems, with far-reaching consequences for the environment, wildlife, and human health. The accumulation of plastic in the oceans has reached a critical level, with billions of pounds of plastic polluting approximately 40% of the world's ocean surfaces. This crisis is exacerbated by the fishing industry, which is a significant contributor to marine plastic pollution.

Fishing gear, including nets, lines, ropes, and traps, makes up a substantial portion of plastic waste in the oceans. Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear, often referred to as "ghost gear," can persist in the marine environment for hundreds of years, continuously entangling and harming marine life. Ghost gear can result from various factors, such as entanglement with reefs or other obstructions, conflicts with vessels, or adverse weather conditions. Intentional discarding, including from illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing activities, also significantly contributes to the problem.

The impact of plastic waste from fishing on marine life is devastating. Thousands of animals, from small finches to large marine mammals like blue whales, fall victim to plastic pollution. They become entangled in fishing gear or ingest plastic debris, leading to injuries, intestinal damage, and even death. A recent study found plastic, primarily in the form of microfibers, in the guts of a quarter of fish sold in California markets. This transfer of plastic up the food chain has implications for larger fish, marine mammals, and ultimately, human seafood consumers.

Endangered species are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of plastic waste from fishing. Hawaiian monk seals and Pacific loggerhead sea turtles are among the nearly 700 species that ingest or become entangled in plastic litter. According to the WWF, fishing waste poses a threat to 66% of marine animals, including all sea turtle species and 50% of seabirds. As global seafood demand rises, large-scale fishing operations expand, exacerbating the problem of ghost gear and its detrimental effects on marine life and ecosystems.

Addressing plastic waste from fishing is crucial to mitigating the crisis. Efforts to reduce plastic pollution should focus on both prevention and cleanup. The private sector can play a role by adopting biodegradable fishing gear and implementing designs that facilitate the separation and recycling of plastics used in the fishing industry. Consumers can also contribute by reducing their seafood consumption, which indirectly supports industrial fishing operations and promotes sustainable small-scale fishing practices. By working together, we can protect marine ecosystems and preserve the health of our oceans for future generations.

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