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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.
Ordinary fishing activity is a source of microplastics to the sea that is often overlooked and scarcely reported in the literature. In this paper, we estimate the number of microplastics in the ocean that originates from the wear and tear of different fishing gear used during ordinary, commercial fishing. The wear comes mainly from rope abrasion caused by the haulers and gear dragged along the sea bottom. The types of fishing gear considered are pots, gillnets, longlines, Danish seine, and trawls. Our calculations show that about 208 tons of microplastics are produced annually from the Norwegian fishery. Globally, it sums to 4 622 tons annually. However, the calculations have several questionable parameters, and these numbers must be considered a first rough estimate of the generated microplastics. More research is needed to get better estimates, particularly regarding trawl dolly ropes.
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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.
Microplastic emissions from fishing ropes: Quantification, characteristics, and implications for marine pollution
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Researchers quantified microplastics generated from the mechanical abrasion of polypropylene-based fishing ropes and found that over 92% of released particles were non-fiber fragments rather than fibers. Each additional kilogram of hauling weight produced roughly 1.4 extra microplastic particles per meter of rope. Global estimates suggest that fishing rope abrasion alone releases approximately 768 trillion microplastic particles annually, highlighting fishing gear as a substantial and often overlooked source of marine microplastic pollution.
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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.
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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.
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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.