Artisanal trawl fisheries as a sentinel of marine litter pollution

Abstract

Systematic seafloor surveys are a highly desirable method of marine litter monitoring, but the high costs involved in seafloor sampling are not a trivial handicap. In the present work, we explore the opportunity provided by the artisanal trawling fisheries to obtain systematic data on marine litter in the Gulf of Cadiz between 2019 and 2021. We find that plastic was the most frequent material, with a prevalence of single-use and fishing-related items. Litter densities decreased with increasing distance to shore with a seasonal migration of the main litter hotspots. During pre-lockdown and post-lockdown stages derived from COVID-19, marine litter density decreased by 65 %, likely related to the decline in tourism and outdoor recreational activities. A continuous collaboration of 33 % of the local fleet would imply a removal of hundreds of thousands of items each year. The artisanal trawl fishing sector can play a unique role of monitoring marine litter on the seabed.

Keywords: COVID; Fishing; Gulf of Cadiz; Marine litter; Seabed; Trawling.