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Abandoned, Lost or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) and the Perceptions of Vietnamese Fishers
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Vietnamese fishing boats lose over 80,000 kg of nets and gear into the ocean every year, with gillnets being the worst offenders — this "ghost gear" keeps trapping fish and other marine life long after it's abandoned, while also breaking down into plastic pollution that can work its way into seafood and, eventually, our diets. The study also found that fishers with more education and experience tend to worry more about this problem, suggesting that outreach and training programs could help reduce gear loss and protect both ocean health and the seafood supply chain.
Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a global challenge that negatively affects marine ecosystems and fishers’ livelihoods. Survey results from 1864 capture fishers in Vietnam show that the total mass of ALDFG is 82,720 kg/year, with an average loss rate of 0.24% of the total plastic used. The average ALDFG mass from gillnet fisheries is 26.0 ± 1.2 kg/vessel/year, trap fisheries 16.1 ± 2.6 kg/vessel/year, hook and line fisheries 13.8 ± 1.4 kg/vessel/year, trawl fisheries 8.8 ± 1.1 kg/vessel/year, stick-held falling net fisheries 5.1 ± 2.1 kg/vessel/year, and purse seine fisheries 4.2 ± 1.4 kg/vessel/year. Polyethylene (PE) accounts for 47.4%, polyamide (PA) 29.5% and polypropylene (PP) 17.2% of the total ALDFG mass. Results from the selected partial proportional odds model show that fishers’ concern about ALDFG increases with education, fishing experience, vessel length, and stronger awareness of environmental and economic impacts, whereas age, days at sea, perceived navigation hazards, and perceived impacts on fish stocks are negatively associated with concern; perceived tourism impacts show a statistically significant threshold-varying effect across concern levels. These findings provide a scientific basis for developing sustainable fishing-gear management policies, aiming to reduce marine plastic pollution in Vietnam. These findings provide evidence for conservation-oriented fishing-gear management in Vietnam by identifying the gear types and fisher perceptions most relevant to reducing ghost fishing, marine plastic leakage, and risks to marine biodiversity and coastal ecosystems.
More Papers Like This
Ghost Fishing from Fishermen’s Perspective: A Case from Turkish Inland Fisheries
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Researchers surveyed fishermen at Eğirdir Lake in Turkey to assess awareness of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), finding that an estimated 275,000 meters of set nets are lost annually, while over 82% of fishermen lack knowledge about ghost fishing and 92% do not consider it a significant problem.
Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded gillnets and trammel nets : Methods to estimate ghost fishing mortality, and the status of regional monitoring and management
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This review synthesizes methods to estimate ghost fishing mortality from abandoned, lost, or discarded (ALDFG) gillnets and trammel nets, and evaluates the status of regional monitoring and management programs worldwide. Researchers found significant gaps in data on gear loss rates, ghost fishing duration, and catch estimates, highlighting the need for standardized monitoring frameworks.
Lost Fishing Gear Generated by Artisanal Fishing Along the Moroccan Mediterranean Coast: Quantities and Causes of Loss
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A survey of 138 artisanal fishermen along Morocco's Mediterranean coast found that over 20,000 kg of fishing gear is lost annually — roughly 29% of all gear used — with net-gear accounting for the majority of losses and adverse weather as the primary cause. These findings help quantify the scale of ghost gear as a source of marine plastic pollution and support the case for improved gear tracking and maintenance protocols.
Inland Fishing Gear: Diversity, Classification, Management and Conservation Challenges
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This review of 114 studies looks at the many types of fishing gear used in lakes and rivers worldwide, finding that gillnets are the most common tool but also one of the biggest contributors to environmental harm, including lost or abandoned nets that keep trapping fish ("ghost fishing") and, importantly, plastic pollution. Since much fishing gear is made of plastic that breaks down over time, it can add to the microplastics accumulating in waterways, the same waterways that supply fish and drinking water to millions of people. Better rules around gear types, materials, and disposal could help protect both freshwater ecosystems and the food and
Ghost fishing capacity of lost experimental gillnets: a preliminary study from Indian waters
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Researchers found that lost experimental gillnets in Indian waters continued to catch fish and invertebrates for months after abandonment, confirming that discarded synthetic fishing gear poses a significant and lasting threat to marine life through ghost fishing.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.