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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Eco-friendly Fishing Gear and Sustainable Materials: A Review
ClearBiodegradable fishing gear: A sustainable solution to ghost net pollution in marine environments
This study reviews biodegradable fishing gear based on copolyesters such as PBSAT and PBSA as sustainable alternatives to conventional polyamide nets, which persist in the ocean as ghost gear and generate microplastics. The authors assess the degradation performance, mechanical properties, and environmental profiles of biodegradable gear materials, finding them promising candidates for reducing ghost net pollution.
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.
Properties and Recyclability of Abandoned Fishing Net-Based Plastic Debris
This review examines how abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear degrades in marine environments through biocatalytic and photocatalytic mechanisms, while exploring the ecological damage caused and evaluating recycling practices and alternative uses as strategies for managing this significant source of marine plastic pollution.
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.
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.
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.
Reducing plastic pollution caused by demersal fisheries
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.
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.
Biodegradable Nets: The Next Wave of Sustainable Fishing
This review examined biodegradable fishing nets made from materials like PLA and PBS as alternatives to conventional synthetic nets that contribute to ghost fishing and microplastic pollution when abandoned. The authors found that biodegradable nets match the functional performance of synthetic ones while degrading in marine environments, though deployment scale and cost-effectiveness remain barriers to adoption.
Biodegradable Nets: The Next Wave of Sustainable Fishing
This review examined biodegradable fishing nets made from materials like PLA and PBS as alternatives to conventional synthetic nets that contribute to ghost fishing and microplastic pollution when abandoned. The authors found that biodegradable nets match the functional performance of synthetic ones while degrading in marine environments, though deployment scale and cost-effectiveness remain barriers to adoption.
The role of recycling and biodegradable materials in aquaculture and fisheries
This review examines the status and technical barriers to recycling plastics from fishing gear and aquaculture equipment in Norway and Iceland, and assesses biodegradable materials as an alternative, noting that circular value chains are critical for reducing the substantial microplastic pollution generated across the lifecycle of aquaculture plastics. Fishing gear and aquaculture equipment are among the largest sources of plastic pollution in marine environments, making sector-specific recycling solutions a priority.
Empowering fishers to tackle marine pollution: NETTAG+ solutions
This study presents the NETTAG+ project, which is developing innovative tracking and recovery solutions for abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), addressing the dual threat of ghost fishing and microplastic release from degrading non-biodegradable plastic fishing equipment.
The ghost nets phenomena from the chemical perspective
This review examines ghost nets—abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear—from a chemical perspective, analyzing their polymer composition and how they degrade into microplastics over time. Ghost nets are a major source of microplastic pollution in the oceans and continue to entangle and harm marine life long after they are lost.
Can biodegradable materials reduce plastic pollution without decreasing catch efficiency in longline fishery?
Researchers tested biodegradable plastic snoods as replacements for nylon in longline fisheries targeting cod and haddock, evaluating whether the eco-friendly materials could reduce marine plastic pollution from lost gear without compromising fishing performance.
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.
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.
Circular Business Models for SMEs in the Fishing Gear Industry
This chapter examines how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the fishing gear industry can adopt circular business models to recycle fishing nets, ropes, and components rather than discarding them. Lost and discarded fishing gear is a major source of ocean plastic pollution and microplastic generation in marine environments.
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.
Microplastics in Sediments Originating from Abandoned, Lost or Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) in Coastal Areas of the Valencian Community
Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a pervasive problem in the Mediterranean, and this study directly measured its contribution to microplastic pollution in coastal sediments near Alicante and Benidorm, Spain. Sites with fishing nets on the seafloor had significantly higher microplastic concentrations than net-free control sites, with polymer types matching those used in fishing gear (nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene). The study provides direct evidence linking derelict fishing gear to localized microplastic hotspots, strengthening the scientific case for systematic retrieval programs and stricter regulations on gear loss in sensitive coastal areas.
Alternative Rope Materials in Towed Fishing Gear to Reduce Plastic Waste, A Comparative Study of Mechanical Properties and Tolerance Against Wear and Tear
Researchers compared the wear tolerance of 14 different rope materials in demersal fisheries, including conventional synthetic polymers and biodegradable alternatives, to identify lower-plastic options that can reduce fishing gear-derived plastic waste.
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.
Fishing efficiency of biodegradable PBSAT gillnets and conventional nylon gillnets used in Norwegian cod (Gadus morhua) and saithe (Pollachius virens) fisheries
Fishing trials in Norway found that biodegradable PBSAT gillnets performed comparably to conventional nylon gillnets for catching cod and saithe. Biodegradable fishing nets represent a promising way to reduce the amount of lost gear — ghost fishing gear — that contributes to plastic pollution and microplastic generation in the ocean.
Potential microplastic release from beached fishing gear in Great Britain's region of highest fishing litter density
Researchers surveyed abandoned fishing gear on beaches in Great Britain's highest fishing litter density region, characterizing rope and net types to estimate potential microplastic release from degrading marine-based plastic pollution sources.
Behavioural economics in fisheries: A systematic review protocol
This systematic review protocol outlines a methodology for synthesizing evidence on how behavioral economics mechanisms influence marine fisher decision-making, developed in collaboration with the ICES Working Group on Maritime Systems. The protocol aims to identify which nudges and incentive structures most effectively promote sustainable fishing practices. Understanding fisher behavior is relevant to marine microplastic pollution, as fishing gear and nets are among the largest sources of ocean plastic debris.