Ghost nets: the silent assassins of our seas

When we think of plastic pollution in our oceans, it’s more often plastic bottles and discarded take-away containers that come to mind. You might have visions of plastic debris accumulated in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or beaches where the sand isn’t visible through the trash. 

But there’s something more sinister floating in our aquatic environments and having a devastating impact on marine wildlife. 

The term “ghost nets” refers to fishing gear that has been abandoned, lost or discarded (it’s sometimes referred to as ALDFG for short). While this might sound minor in the grand scheme of environmental issues impacting our oceans, the problem is bigger than you might think and constitutes a major environmental hazard. 

Ghost nets are often hard to detect as they drift through the ocean, entangling marine life along the way - a term that’s often referred to as “ghost fishing”. Some get snagged and become death traps, causing injury, starvation and suffocation for fish, turtles, dolphins and seabirds. 

The fact is that millions of tons of fishing gear are lost every year, contributing to what is becoming a huge marine conservation issue. 

In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about ghost nets, including how they are abandoned in the first place. Discover how much ghost fishing is contributing to the issue of plastic waste in our oceans and its impact on marine life, as well as what is being done globally to mitigate the problem. 

Why fishing gear is abandoned in the first place

Abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear comes from many different sources and can have varying impacts on marine life. 

Many commercial fishermen utilise gillnets, vertical net walls that are suspended in the water column. Held upright by flotation buoys along one edge, these nets can extend for hundreds of metres and are designed to entangle fish of a particular size as they attempt to pass through. 

In theory, these nets should be retrieved by fishermen to harvest the catch. But if they are left uncollected or get lost due to bad weather, tides or strong currents, they can become ghost nets that continue fishing indiscriminately. In some cases, fishermen abandon worn-out nets simply as the easiest and cheapest method of disposal.

An un-retrieved net will catch fish until the weight exceeds the buoyancy of the floats, causing it to sink and potentially smother seabed habitats. If this happens, bottom-dwelling creatures may consume the trapped fish and the net may resurface to continue the cycle. Due to the strength and durability of modern synthetic materials, this can continue for years and years. 

If ghost nets wash up along coastlines, they run the risk of entangling shorebirds and other coastal species. Scavengers pursuing trapped species can also get trapped, exacerbating the problem, particularly when tides change. Aside from restricting the movement of trapped creatures, ghost nets can cause suffocation and drowning for mammals and reptiles needing to surface for air. 

The issue of “ghost fishing” is not confined to abandoned nets. Other forms of discarded fishing equipment, such as old-fashioned crab traps that lack "rot-out panels" can settle on the ocean floor. Here they become self-baiting hazards, continuously trapping marine life for years. Even balled-up fishing line can create entanglement risks for a diverse range of marine creatures. 

Want to learn more about the major threats facing our oceans? Head to our detailed article here.

How ghost nets contribute to plastic pollution in our oceans

Calculating the total volume of plastic debris accumulating in the world's oceans remains a complex task. But researchers agree that abandoned fishing gear is a significant contributor. 

Estimates suggest that between 10% and 20% of all ocean plastic pollution originates from fishing ropes, nets, traps and lines, a figure that can be dramatically higher in certain areas.  In major pollution hotspots like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, fishing-related plastics make up an estimated 46% of the mass.

Annual losses of this "ghost gear" are substantial, with studies estimating that up to 2.5% of fishing equipment is lost each year. This includes over 78,000 square kilometres of nets, more than 25 million pots and traps, and approximately 740,000 kilometres of longlines. That’s a LOT of waste being left to wreak havoc in our oceans. 

Discover how you can support sustainable fisheries in our detailed article here.

Measures for preventing ghost fishing

Some types of fishing gear are more susceptible to getting lost at sea than others, such as gill nets, pots and traps. Fish aggregating devices (FADs) used to attract and concentrate pelagic fish are also high risk.

Preventing the loss of such fishing gear is crucial in reducing the impacts of ghost fishing and involves the implementation of both practical and technological measures. 

This can include reducing the duration that fishing nets, pots and traps are left unattended underwater and utilising GPS mapping to avoid setting gear in locations with high potential for conflict with other fishing operators. 

Clearly marking fishing gear can help to establish ownership and encourage retrieval, as well as resolve gear conflicts between fleets. It could also play an important role in identifying illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities. 

Gear modification is another important strategy for mitigating the environmental impacts of ghost fishing. This includes altering the design of fishing equipment to address issues surrounding loss and entanglement, such as adding escape hatches or biodegradable panels to pots and traps. This would allow captured animals to escape over time. 

Altering the ropes connecting seabed gear to surface buoys is another possible measure, incorporating weakened sections that animals could easily break free through. Ropeless systems offer another potential solution and would prevent entanglement risks altogether. 

When it comes to Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), using biodegradable materials like bamboo or hemp fibres could lessen the impact on marine life if they become lost at sea. Additionally, they could be constructed without netting to reduce the accidental capture and entanglement of non-target species.

Effective fisheries management is also key to help prevent gear loss. Ensuring sufficient on-board storage space for gear is essential, together with providing crew training on proper gear handling techniques and awareness of ghost fishing impacts.

Looking for marine conservation organisations to support? Check out some of our favourites here.

Ghost fishing clean-up initiatives around the globe

In September 2015, the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) was established by World Animal Protection to address the issue of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear. By bringing together governments, industry, NGOs and researchers, it provides a unique voice and collaborative framework for developing and implementing effective solutions to the global ghost gear problem. 

Its three main aims are to 1) improve the health of aquatic ecosystems 2) safeguard human health and livelihoods, and 3) protect aquatic life from harm. 

Aside from large, multi-phase projects, GGGI also provides small grants to communities working on ghost fishing-related projects around the globe. These include transforming collected ghost nets into fabric along the coast of Nigeria and research into the local causes of gear loss in Bangladesh. 

Also addressing the issue are net amnesty schemes such as Fishing for Litter, which establish incentives for the collection and responsible disposal of end-of-life fishing gear. Originally established at a Dutch port, Fishing for Litter has spread across Europe and encourages environmentally conscious behaviour within the fishing community.

Net amnesty schemes are specifically designed to address a primary obstacle to proper disposal, which is the financial cost incurred by fishers when discarding worn-out or damaged equipment. By providing accessible, free collection points or even offering small rewards, they remove the economic disincentive that often leads to gear abandonment in the first place.

In Australia, the Carpentaria Ghost Nets Program has addressed the issue of ALDFG by collaborating with Indigenous communities. The program was designed to elevate awareness about the impacts of ghost fishing and to cultivate sustainable, long-term management solutions.

A core component of this joint effort involves providing training to Indigenous Australians in the region and drawing on their traditional knowledge in protecting coastal landscapes. Aside from being taught techniques for identifying ghost nets and other plastic pollution along the coastline, participants are trained in the safe procedures for removing these harmful materials. 

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About the authors

We are a team of passionate divers and surfers with decades of combined experience in the water and travelling to all corners of the globe. After years of chasing waves and descending into the deep blue, we've created this resource highlighting sustainably run surf camps, eco-friendly dive resorts and conservation-focused ocean trips to help inspire your next adventure.

Eco Ocean Escapes was born out of a love of the ocean, an obsession with travel and a concern about the impacts of our adventures on the environments we explore. Despite the benefits that surf and dive tourism can bring to local communities, we recognised that ocean-based adventures are not always managed in a sustainable manner.  

Through our articles, we hope to inspire those seeking a responsible surf or dive trip that is all about supporting local communities, preserving our coastal environments and the incredible marine species that inhabit our oceans.