Worldwide concentration of abandoned fishing nets collected (October 2018).
Graduated Symbol Map Courtesy of Harvard University
Image Courtesy of Australian Maritime Safety Authority
- FISHING GEAR -
Ghost gear consists of fishing gear abandoned in the ocean. Although no longer being utilized, the nets maintain their original capabilities to trap and kill wildlife.
"Marine debris stands as a pressing global environmental concern, posing threats to diverse marine life, including birds, sharks, turtles, and marine mammals. The consequences of marine debris range from injury to tragic outcomes like drowning, entanglement, or starvation following ingestion."
- Kim Diaz, Sea Shepherd Outreach Coordinator and Leader of Sea Shepherd NYC, 2023 (Personal Interview)
FADs (fish aggregating devices) also contribute to the unintentional entanglement of marine wildlife. FADs consist of long lines and netting attached to a "hook" feature designed to attract fish - virtually, a baited trap. Irresponsible fishing operations leave FADs in the water unattended. FADs can be deadly for ensnared animals.
Image Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Global
Image Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Global
Image Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Global
Right whales are one of many examples of a marine species that has been affected by fishing gear. As mentioned earlier, whales heavily contribute to stifling the impact of carbon dioxide emissions and climate change.
"Over 75 percent of all well-photographed right whales show scars from having been entangled at one time in their lives."
- Kraus Rolland, The Urban Whale, 2007
"On 20 October 1999, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, reported a dead entangled right whale offshore. The Coast Guard towed it in for a necropsy, and researchers quickly confirmed it was Eg #2030. She had been dead for about ten days, but all of the forensic evidence to determine the cause of death was intact. Ropes had cut into the bone of both flippers, and the wrap of rope across the back had cut down to and into the muscle through over 15 cm of blubber. The necropsy report states, "Massive traumatic injury induced by entanglement in fishing gear. Starvation." The end of Eg #2030 was neither swift nor painless."
- Scott D. Kraus, 1999, as documented in The Urban Whale
Right Whale Caught in FAD. Image Courtesy of Science.org