1. Ghost Fishing

2. What is Ghost Fishing? • Abandoned or lost fish nets • Fish get entangled • Almost invisible in dim light

3. Travelling of nets • Deformity of nets • Nets restrict movement

4. Traps and Pots

5. Some Animals Being Harmed • Fish • Dolphins • Sea turtles • Sharks • Dugongs-------> • Crocodiles • Seabirds • Crabs • Occasional Human Diver

6. 30% of annual catch dies from ghost fishing • World becomes aware in 1985 • Against the law • 640 000 tonnes of discraded fishing gear

7. Chesapeake Bay, U.S.A • 150 000 crab pots out of 500 000 pots are lost each year

8. Causes • Weather • Cost of retrieval • Vandalism/theft

9. “The Cycle” • Traps become self-baiting • Fish get trapped, than more get trapped, eventually net becomes full killing hundreds or even thousands of fish in a single net! • That’s a BIG deal

10. Gill nets • Anchored to seabed • Should be checked every couple days • If not, the net sinks

11. Three Main Ways of Reduction • 1) reduce likely hood of fishing gear being lost or dumped at sea • 2)promote biodegradable material • 3)Make it easier to track and recover gear.

12. French Government • Offered reward for ghost nets • People Vandalized other peoples nets, project was ended

13. Conclusion • Rewards! • Frustrating problem • New technology

14. Any Questions?