What are ghost nets?
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Ghost
Nets are classified under abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear,
which includes lines, traps, hooks, dredges and buoys. These are left in
oceans, and the nets restrict movement, causing starvation, laceration and
infection, and suffocation in those that need to return to the surface to
breathe.
Ghost nets can kill marine wildlife, including vulnerable species and destroy the benthic ecosystem. Benthic Ecosystem is a type of ecosystem that exists at the lowest level of a body of water.
High Quality synthetic nets can last in the oceans for centuries and lead micro plastic ingestion by aquatic life.
Fishes often get stuck in these nets and die, which contributes to 200 tonnes annually.
Reason
The problem has been due to global expansion of fishing sector, and the availability of the more durable gear.
The International Body
The United Nations Environment Program in 2009 conducted a study –‘Abandoned, Lost or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear’. It was surprising that almost 640000 tonnes of all fishing gear is lost in our oceans annually.
The economic Impacts of ALDFG are complex and have not been estimated systematically. It increases Marine Debris, Plastics and Micro plastics in Ocean and food chains.
