Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded gillnets and trammel nets : Methods to estimate ghost fishing mortality, and the status of regional monitoring and management

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.

2016 Jukuri (Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)) 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Ghost Fishing Gear: An Overlooked Threat in Marine Debris Management

This review examines the problem of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear, often called ghost gear, which continues to catch and kill marine life long after it is lost at sea. The synthetic materials in this gear break down into microplastics and damage ecosystems including coral reefs, seagrass beds, and seafloor habitats. The authors call for stronger policies, biodegradable fishing materials, and better gear tracking technologies to address this overlooked source of ocean plastic pollution.

2025 International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

From sea to shore: Estimating used, lost and stranded fishing gear in the Southeastern Bay of Biscay through models and a novel gear identification key

Researchers estimated that 211 tons of plastic fishing gear were used and 6 tons lost in the Southeastern Bay of Biscay in 2023, with gillnets and longlines most commonly lost; beach surveys identified 7.6% of collected items as fishing-related, predominantly mending pieces composed of polyethylene and polypropylene.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Ghost fishing capacity of lost experimental gillnets: a preliminary study from Indian waters

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.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Source, fate and management of recreational fishing marine debris

Researchers conducted the first global literature review of recreational fishing marine debris, identifying plastic and metal as dominant materials and nearshore reefs and coastal areas as both sources and sinks, while concluding that the sector's contribution to marine debris is likely underestimated and understudied.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Ghost Gears in the Gulf of Gabès: Alarming Situation and Sustainable Solution Perspectives

Researchers surveyed the prevalence of abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear in Tunisia's Gulf of Gabes, a critical fishing area. The study found varying loss rates across different gear types and identified key contributing factors, highlighting the need for sustainable management strategies to reduce marine plastic pollution from ghost fishing gear.

2024 Preprints.org 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimizing the Estimation of Abandoned, Lost or Discarded Fishing Gear in Developing Countries: A Data-Driven, Behaviourally Corrected Method Using Economic and Survey Data

This methodological study addresses overestimates of lost and discarded fishing gear in developing countries, where self-reported survey data are often inflated by recall bias and unit confusion. Researchers developed a six-step framework that anchors gear estimates to economic data — replacement costs and price-per-kilogram calculations — to produce more accurate figures. Improving these estimates matters because abandoned fishing gear is a major source of persistent marine plastic pollution, and better data are needed to prioritize cleanup and prevention efforts.

2026
Article Tier 2

Relative abundance of derelict fishing gear in the Hawaii-based pelagic longline fishery grounds as estimated from fishery observer data

Researchers used fishing observer data from Hawaii's longline fishery to estimate that derelict (lost or abandoned) fishing gear declined roughly 66% in the North Pacific between 2008 and 2016, with concentrations highest near the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, suggesting fishermen could serve as a practical ocean cleanup resource.

2020 Scientific Reports 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Highest risk abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear

Researchers ranked fishing gear types by their derelict gear risk scores — combining production rates, fishing intensity, and documented harm to wildlife — finding that gillnets, longlines, and fish traps posed the highest risks, and recommending these as priority targets for derelict gear retrieval programs.

2021 Scientific Reports 164 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification and environmental pollution aspects of lost fishing gear in the Nordic countries

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.

2023 TemaNord 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Fishing fleet waste and its impact on the marine environment

This brief report summarizes the environmental impacts of waste generated by fishing fleets, including plastic gear, nets, and packaging that are major sources of marine microplastic pollution. Lost and discarded fishing equipment — known as ghost gear — is one of the most persistent forms of plastic waste in the ocean.

2023 HYDROMETEOROLOGY AND ECOLOGY PROCEEDINGS OF THE RUSSIAN STATE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Article Tier 2

Ghost Gears in the Gulf of Gabès: Alarming Situation and Sustainable Solution Perspectives

This study investigated abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear in Tunisia's Gulf of Gabes, finding that longlines had the highest loss rates at 59%. Researchers identified the main causes as entanglement, gear conflicts, weather, and intentional dumping, and recommend better boat equipment, fisherman education, and waste recovery incentives to protect the marine environment.

2024 Sustainability 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Fishing net waste management: quantification and valorization

Abandoned and discarded fishing nets are a major source of microplastics in the ocean because they are made of synthetic fibers that slowly fragment over time. This study quantified the volume of fishing net waste generated in a Portuguese fishing port and evaluated strategies for diverting it from landfill toward recycling and material recovery. Effective management of fishing gear waste is a practical lever for reducing one of the most persistent sources of marine microplastic pollution.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Drifting fish aggregating devices in the Indian ocean impacts, management, and policy implications

Researchers assessed 63 drifting fish aggregating devices (floating structures used to attract tuna for easier fishing) recovered along Somali coastlines and found that none complied with international fishing regulations, highlighting widespread illegal and unregulated fishing practices in the Indian Ocean. Abandoned and non-compliant FADs contribute to ocean debris and ghost fishing, adding to marine plastic pollution.

2024 npj Ocean Sustainability 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Developing a Circular Economy for Fishing Gear in the Northern Periphery and Arctic Region: Challenges and Opportunities

This paper examines the challenges and opportunities for creating a circular economy for fishing gear — including lost and abandoned nets — in the Arctic and Northern European region. Discarded fishing gear is a major source of ocean plastic pollution, and recovering and recycling it could significantly reduce marine litter in these remote waters.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

An Integrated Approach to Assessing the Potential of Plastic Fishing Gear to Release Microplastics

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.

2025 Water 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Netting the problem: a comprehensive analysis of marine litter on artisanal fishers

A systematic global review found that while marine litter's ecological impacts are well-documented, research on its socioeconomic effects on artisanal fishing communities is sparse—revealing significant financial losses, gear damage, and safety risks that disproportionately affect small-scale fishers.

2025 Frontiers in Ocean Sustainability 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Designing a Value-Added Tax-integrated recovery scheme for Abandoned, Lost or Discarded Fishing Gear: Science–policy integration and decision-support for Vietnam’s fisheries

Researchers designed a VAT-integrated recovery scheme for abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear in Vietnam, finding through a survey of 1,525 fishers that refunding the 5% VAT on new gear in exchange for returning recovered gear at ports — combined with allowing fishers to retain informal resale proceeds — could substantially increase participation in circular economy recovery programs.

2025
Article Tier 2

Life cycle assessment (LCA) on waste management options for derelict fishing gear

Researchers used life cycle assessment to compare four waste management options for derelict fishing gear retrieved from the ocean, including mechanical recycling, syngas production, energy recovery, and landfill disposal. They found that mechanical recycling and energy recovery had the lowest environmental impacts, while syngas production and landfilling were not competitive due to high energy requirements or insufficient offset credits. The study provides guidance for establishing environmentally sound waste management systems for this growing marine litter waste stream.

2023 The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of Systems Engineering and Sustainable Development Goals towards Sustainable Management of Fishing Gear Resources in Norway

This study applied systems engineering principles to improve the management of fishing gear in Norway, addressing the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear—a major source of ocean plastic pollution. The authors propose better tracking, recovery, and recycling systems to reduce fishing gear as a plastic pollution source.

2021 Sustainability 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Waste to Value Process Chain for Recycling of Fishing Gear Collected from Coastal Waters

Researchers developed and evaluated a waste-to-value recycling process chain for fishing gear collected from coastal waters, addressing the challenges of heterogeneous and contaminated input materials and demonstrating pathways to convert post-use fishing nets and gear into useful recycled products while supporting coastal economies.

2025 Lecture notes in mechanical engineering
Article Tier 2

Eco-friendly Fishing Gear and Sustainable Materials: A Review

This review examines the shift toward eco-friendly fishing gear — including biodegradable polymers, GPS-enabled retrieval systems, and modular designs — as a way to reduce the massive amount of microplastic pollution caused by abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing nets and lines. Case studies from the EU, Japan, the US, and elsewhere show promising results, but barriers like cost and fisher awareness still limit widespread adoption. Addressing lost fishing gear is important because it is one of the ocean's largest sources of persistent plastic debris.

2026 Journal of Scientific Research and Reports
Article Tier 2

Opportunities for Circular Business Models and Circular Design Related to Fishing Gear

This chapter examines how circular economy principles — designing products to be reused, repaired, or recycled — can be applied to fishing gear, which is a major source of ocean plastic pollution, reviewing relevant EU legislation and proposing new business models and design strategies to keep fishing equipment out of the ocean.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable fishing gears: A potential solution to ghost fishing and marine plastic pollution

Researchers evaluated biodegradable materials as alternatives to conventional nylon fishing gear to reduce ghost fishing and marine plastic pollution. They found that biodegradable nets caught fish at comparable rates but broke down much faster in ocean conditions, significantly reducing their long-term environmental impact. The study suggests that switching to biodegradable fishing gear could meaningfully reduce marine litter and the ongoing harm caused by lost or abandoned nets.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 13 citations