Prompt Cast
The Impact of Ghost Fishing on Marine Life
TLDR Ghost fishing, caused by abandoned fishing gear, poses a significant threat to marine life, leading to entrapment, stunted growth, suffocation, starvation, and death. Efforts are being made to combat ghost fishing through initiatives like repurposing lost gear, creating economic incentives for proper disposal, and developing biodegradable alternatives to prevent harm to marine animals.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Ghost fishing is the term used to describe abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear that continues to harm marine life for extended periods of time.
05:41
Ghost fishing is a significant problem, with an estimated 25,000 nets totaling about 1250 kilometers in length being lost every year in just one fishery in the northeast Atlantic.
10:41
Synthetic fishing nets made of plastics can last for hundreds of years, and when they break up, animals can eat the smaller bits, leading to their death and becoming part of the food chain.
15:27
Ghost fishing occurs when animals, such as sea turtles and seal pups, get trapped in plastic fishing gear, leading to stunted growth, suffocation, starvation, and even death.
20:16
Ghost fishing can happen accidentally due to bad weather or the abandonment of gear, but it can also occur intentionally through illegal fishing practices or the dumping of gear to avoid fees for proper disposal.
25:05
One of the indirect causes of ghost fishing is the lack of facilities at port for fishermen to dispose of unwanted fishing gear, and the solution could be to create economic incentives for fishermen to bring in their old gear.
29:39
In the northeast Atlantic, 25,000 nets are tossed in every year, while in the northwest Atlantic, one snow crab fishery loses about 800 traps a year.
34:41
In an effort to combat ghost fishing, initiatives like the Global Ghost Gear Initiative are working to gather data, review policies, and clean up lost fishing gear, while also finding ways to repurpose the waste, such as turning fishing nets into carpet tiles or generating power from the gear.
39:43
Initiatives like Covanta Energy and Bureo are finding ways to repurpose and recycle ghost fishing gear, such as turning it into energy or skateboards, while organizations like Ghost Fishing Alliance and Ghost Nets Australia are working to clean up and free marine animals from ghost nets.
44:10
Biodegradable and edible six-pack rings are being developed to prevent turtles from getting tangled in them, and craft breweries are using recycled plastic lids instead of traditional rings.
Categories:
Society & Culture
