Ghost-Fishing Gear: Have Fishing Practices During the Past Few Years Reduced the Impact?

Abstract

Fish stocks are depressed worldwide. The resultant economic hardships on many fishermen have forced changes in fishing operations and effort. In general, gear use and losses in trap or pot fisheries appear to be increasing concurrent with a shift to more durable gear and designs. Modifications in trawl construction and operations have resulted in increased net damage and loss. Evidence from a number of locations around the world indicates that recent demersal gillnet- ting practices are leaving more gear per fishing unit in the oceans; in some cases this lost gear is heavily concentrated on productive fishing grounds. These changes in traditional gear types and fishing methods are certainly increasing the potential for loss of commercial and noncommercial species because of ghost-fishing.