Global estimates of fishing gear lost to the ocean each year

• DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq0135
• Publication Date: 2022-10-12T17:57:16Z
• Authors: Kelsey Richardson; Britta Denise Har...; Joanna Vince; Chris Wilcox
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; Earth, Environmental, Ecological, and Space Sciences; 13. Climate action; 14. Life underwater; 01 natural sciences

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 limited in scope. To provide current global estimates, we interviewed fishers around the world about how much they lose annually multiplied reported losses by effort data. We estimate that nearly 2% of all gear, comprising 2963 km2 gillnets, 75,049 purse seine nets, 218 trawl 739,583 km longline mainlines, more than 25 million pots traps lost annually. These represent critical baselines can inform solutions targeted reduction strategies.