Ghost Gear Governance in the High Seas: A Content Analysis of Current International Governance Institutions

Plastic pollution in marine environments has emerged as a global crisis, with abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) posing a severe threat to the health and safety of the high seas. Despite growing public concern, international governance mechanisms for plastic fishing gear remain limited and fragmented, especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This honors thesis investigates the governance of ghost gear in the high seas through a content analysis of nine key international governance institutions’ documents. The analysis included keyword identification, qualitative content analysis, and relational content analysis using the Global Ghost Gear Initiative’s Best Practice Framework for the Management of Fishing Gear to evaluate the presence of prevention, mitigation, and remediation principles. Findings underscore the need for explicit integration of terms such as ALDFG, plastic, and gear in reference to ghost gear across governance documents to foster more consistent and effective global management. Results also highlight significant gaps in the use of mitigation and remediation terminology within these institutions. This research contributes to a growing body of evidence that supports the need for a more comprehensive and coordinated international governance approach to managing ghost gear in the high seas.