Global estimates of fishing gear lost to the ocean each year

Kelsey Richardson; Britta Denise Hardesty; Joanna Vince; Chris Wilcox

doi:10.1126/sciadv.abq0135

Global estimates of fishing gear lost to the ocean each year

Sci Adv. 2022 Oct 14;8(41):eabq0135. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abq0135. Epub 2022 Oct 12.

Authors

Kelsey Richardson^{1

2

3}, Britta Denise Hardesty^{2

3}, Joanna Vince^{1

3}, Chris Wilcox^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ School of Social Sciences, College of Arts, Law, and Education, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
² Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, Australia.
³ Centre for Marine Socioecology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Abstract

Abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a major contributor to ocean pollution, with extensive social, economic, and environmental impacts. However, quantitative ALDFG estimates are dated and limited in scope. To provide current global estimates, we interviewed fishers around the world about how much fishing gear they lose annually and multiplied reported losses by global fishing effort data. We estimate that nearly 2% of all fishing gear, comprising 2963 km² of gillnets, 75,049 km² of purse seine nets, 218 km² of trawl nets, 739,583 km of longline mainlines, and more than 25 million pots and traps are lost to the ocean annually. These estimates represent critical baselines that can inform solutions targeted to ALDFG reduction strategies.