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Microplastic pollution from fishing gear: Emerging risks and management pathways
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Fishing gear like nets and trawls sheds an estimated 200 tons of microplastic into Norwegian waters every year, with certain fishing methods (Danish seine and trawl nets) responsible for most of the pollution. These plastics can work their way into the marine food chain—and ultimately onto our plates through seafood—but this review suggests switching to biodegradable gear materials could meaningfully cut emissions, though doing so will require rethinking how fishing rights and quotas are currently managed.
During the last decade, measures to reduce pollution from fisheries have become a decisive topic and high on the political agenda. Commercial fisheries are a major source of marine microplastic pollution. Since fishing effort and technology are structured through quota allocation and fleet policy, fisheries management plays a central role in shaping both the scale and distribution of microplastic emissions. Within this governance framework, the destruction of harvest shares among vessel groups and fishing technologies is a key mechanism for balancing social and economic sustainability. Paired with strong policy goals to maintain a diverse fleet structure in fisheries-dependent areas, this framework has driven various technological adaptations in demersal fisheries, such as trawl, gillnets, Danish seine and long line. Different fishing methods contribute varying degrees of microplastic pollution due to differences in gear design, material composition, and seabed contact. This paper synthesises recent Norwegian data and international literature to assess governance and technological measures to reduce emissions. It is estimated that Norwegian demersal fisheries emit ∼200 tons of microplastics annually, dominated by Danish seine (46%) and trawl (29%). While replacing conventional nylon with biodegradable alternatives offers a promising reduction, cutting plastic emissions may also challenge existing management frameworks and the distribution of harvest shares among fishing technologies. An important question, therefore, is how plastic pollution can be integrated as a new dimension of sustainability within fisheries governance, allowing it to gain greater prominence in the global marine plastics discourse.
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Reducing plastic pollution caused by demersal fisheries
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Bottom trawling and demersal seining fishing gear steadily shed microplastics into the ocean as they wear down, and in Norway alone they account for over 70% of demersal fish catches while also being among the top sources of fishery-related microplastic pollution. Switching to biodegradable polymer alternatives for these nets could reduce marine plastic litter, even if end-of-life incineration rather than recycling remains the likely disposal route.
Microplastics Derived from Commercial Fishing Activities
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Researchers estimated that ordinary commercial fishing activities in Norway generate approximately 208 tonnes of microplastics annually from rope abrasion and gear wear, extrapolating to roughly 4,622 tonnes globally per year across gear types including trawls, gillnets, longlines, pots, and Danish seine.
Oceanic plastic pollution caused by Danish seine fishing in Norway
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Researchers estimated that Danish seine fishing in Norway alone contributes 77 to 97 tons of plastic to the sea annually from rope wear caused by dragging gear along the seabed, and extrapolating globally, all fly dragging and anchor seining generates approximately 311 tons of plastic pollution per year. The study identifies fishing gear abrasion as a significant but underinvestigated source of marine microplastic contamination.
Quantification and environmental pollution aspects of lost fishing gear in the Nordic countries
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Researchers compiled data from Nordic countries on the quantity and composition of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) in aquatic environments, examining contributions to macro- and microplastic pollution and hazardous chemical contamination, while also evaluating prevention strategies and mitigation options for lost gear impacts.
An Integrated Approach to Assessing the Potential of Plastic Fishing Gear to Release Microplastics
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Researchers developed an integrated approach to assess how abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear releases microplastics into marine environments. The study found that fishing gear is a significant but understudied source of microplastic pollution, and the research provides new methods for quantifying microplastic release from different types of plastic fishing equipment.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.