STOP GHOST GEAR THE MOST DEADLY FORM OF MARINE PLASTIC DEBRIS

Ghost gear is identified as the most lethal form of marine plastic debris, contributing between 500,000 and 1 million tonnes of plastic to the oceans annually. It causes indiscriminate 'ghost fishing' that threatens endangered species, damages critical habitats, and creates economic losses for fisheries and other maritime sectors. While various international frameworks like UNCLOS and MARPOL exist, the report describes them as fragmented and ineffective. WWF advocates for a combination of preventive measures (gear marking, circular design), mitigation (biodegradable materials), and curative actions (retrieval programs), culminating in the call for a new UN treaty on marine plastic pollution.

• Ghost gear is estimated to constitute at least 10% of all marine litter, resulting in between 500,000 and 1 million tonnes of fishing gear entering the oceans every year.
• Ghost gear is the most lethal type of marine plastic debris, impacting 66% of marine mammals, 50% of seabirds, and all sea turtle species.
• Global loss rates for fishing gear vary by type, with an estimated 5.7% of fishing nets, 8.6% of traps and pots, and 29% of fishing lines being abandoned, lost, or discarded.
• Ghost fishing causes significant economic harm to the fishing industry; for example, in one British Columbia crab fishery, replacing lost gear costs over US$ 490,000 annually.
• Gillnets, pots and traps, and Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) are ranked as the three most harmful types of fishing gear based on their risk of loss and negative impact after loss.
• The vaquita porpoise in the Upper Gulf of California, Mexico, is on the brink of extinction, with only about 10 individuals remaining as of 2018, primarily due to entanglements in illegal and lost gillnets.
• Existing international legal frameworks, including UNCLOS and MARPOL, are described as fragmented and ineffective, lacking harmonized binding standards and global targets for plastic waste mitigation.
• Effective solutions require a three-pronged approach: prevention (e.g., gear marking and circular design), mitigation (e.g., using biodegradable components), and curative measures (e.g., retrieval programs and 'fishing for litter' schemes).
• The European Commission has set progressive goals for 2025, including a minimum collection rate of 50% and a recycling target of 15% for end-of-life fishing gear.

APA

WWF International (2020). STOP GHOST GEAR THE MOST DEADLY FORM OF MARINE PLASTIC DEBRIS. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/742/3c1g4qur2t_ADVOCACY_REPORT_singles.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. STOP GHOST GEAR THE MOST DEADLY FORM OF MARINE PLASTIC DEBRIS. 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/742/3c1g4qur2t_ADVOCACY_REPORT_singles.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=STOP GHOST GEAR THE MOST DEADLY FORM OF MARINE PLASTIC DEBRIS |date=October 2020 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/742/3c1g4qur2t_ADVOCACY_REPORT_singles.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2020stop, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{STOP GHOST GEAR THE MOST DEADLY FORM OF MARINE PLASTIC DEBRIS}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/742/3c1g4qur2t_ADVOCACY_REPORT_singles.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }