Unclogging our oceans

Introduction: What is Ghost Gear?
The ghost team is the waste of the fishing activities that currently float in our oceans and is likely to hinder or kill the animals that live there. In fact, it is estimated that for every piece of phantom equipment, six animals are damaged.

Animals of all sizes, from leatherback turtle whales to endangered leatherback turtles, to small fish such as brook trout, are at risk of being entangled, injured and even killed every day.

Recently, in March 2018, fishermen withdrew 400 kg of sea fishing nets in a few places on the south coast of Kerala.

Numerous reports indicate that this type of diver regularly takes out underwater only to extract nets that have sunk in the seabed of Indian coasts, from Tamil Nadu to Maharashtra.

The problem of the ghost device (any fishing gear lost, thrown or abandoned in bodies of water) has worsened since the fall of the fishery that no one had heard until it was now difficult to 'ignore.

Global statistics and topics:
10% of all marine /marine litter comes from ghosts
Each year, more than 640,000 tons of ghost material remain in our oceans.
More than 136,000 seals, dolphins, whales, turtles, and other marine animals are trapped /entangled in ghosts every year.
Phantom devices can take up to 600 years to decompose.
Most of these pieces of equipment are made of plastics that can take centuries to degrade and add to marine plastics.

Consequences of marine debris
Every year around the world, more than 100,000 whales, dolphins, seals, and turtles are caught in "ghost equipment", such as abandoned nets, lines and fishing traps, lost and discarded, up to 600 years old. to decompose.

The vast majority of these devices are made from plastics requiring centuries of degradation. Animals trapped in this incredibly durable fishing gear experience prolonged, painful death, which usually suffocates or starves for months.

Only between 2011 and 2018, the Olive Ridley Project, a registered charity in the UK that eliminates ghost networks and protects sea turtles, recorded 601 sea turtles entangled in ghostly equipment near the Maldives, of which 528 were olive trees. Ridley, the same species as thousands On the shores of Odisha to nest.

A team of marine biologists surveyed the ghost team around the world and discovered that more than 5,400 marine animals from 40 different species were trapped or associated with a ghost device.

This analysis also revealed a significant gap in data from the Indian, Southern and Indian Oceans, leading the team to recommend that future studies focus on these areas.

Global Initiatives to control Ghost Gears:
To address this global problem, World Animal Protection has founded the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), an intersectoral alliance dedicated to finding solutions to the problem of ghost equipment worldwide.

The GGGI works to create evidence, develop best practices, inform policies and catalyze solutions.

Last year, the GGGI supported a project to remove old crab pots in McIntyre Bay, British Columbia, and launched a best-practice framework for the fishing industry and other interested parties. Prevent and mitigate the effects of lost fishing gear and marine litter. The strength of the GGGI lies in the diversity of its participants, including governments, NGOs, academics and fisheries leaders, with the aim of reducing the number of ghost equipment in the oceans.

"The Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) brings together more than 80 industry participants who are managing solutions to the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear, removing equipment from our oceans, and turning recycled nets into skateboards in.

"GGGI is a platform where governments and other stakeholders come together to improve the health of marine ecosystems, protect marine animals from damage, and preserve human health and livelihoods."

Way Forward:

1. Avoid disposable plastics: any form of plastic, no matter how small, can cause damage and suffering to marine life, such as birds, fish, and turtles, when they eat or avoid. Bring your own groceries, take a reusable water bottle and skip the straw.
2. Cut looping plastics: anything that forms a circle, such as 6-beverage rings, plastic bag handles or packing straps on shipping boxes, is a threat to birds, seals and curious sea lions that may get entangled.
3. Collect 5 garbage each time you go to the beach or the coast; If we have the opportunity to visit a beach or a lake, pay the favor and keep the garbage out of the belly of the seabirds.
4. Don’t release balloons – after fishing gear, the most common material found entangled on marine life balloons, especially those released in bunches!
5. Notify it if you see a tangled animal or a lost fishing gear: a global network is ready to help you. Contact the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to report a tangled animal.
   Wherever you live, we all have the responsibility to care for our precious marine life.