Lost and abandoned fishing gear and related debris

Ghost fishing by lost or abandoned fishing gear has been found in the ROPME region.

Fishing gear can inflict lethal cuts and wounds on fish and marine wildlife.

Derelict fishing gear was identified as the most harmful debris to ocean life.

Lately, lost and abandoned fishing gear has increasingly become a worldwide high profile nuisance.

No regular regional or national scientific data is available on lost or discarded fishing gear.

Ilse Kiessling (National Oceans Office of Australia) highlighted the importance of addressing root causes for lost fishing gear and described how her country was dealing with the problem of derelict fishing gear at the national and regional levels.

Recognizing also the need for appropriate measures to address lost or abandoned gear, including catches by derelict fishing gear, which adversely affects, inter alia, fish stocks and habitats,

Recognizing also the need for appropriate measures to address lost or abandoned gear, including catches by derelict fishing gear, which adversely affect inter alia fish stocks and habitats,

The fish detection equipment present on board also changes according to which fishing gear is being used.

One delegation suggested the establishment of inventories of net types and other gear used in fishing within national jurisdictions or a clearing house mechanism to facilitate the sharing of information on fishing net types and other gear used in fisheries around the world.

Thomas Cowan (Director, Northwest Straits Commission) explained how the derelict fishing gear removal project of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative addressed the location and removal of such gear.

The commercial fishers comprise about 300 boats, with 50 per cent of the fishers owning their fishing gear and the remainder acting as helpers or employees of the gear owners.

Once discarded or lost, the fishing gear remains in the marine environment, with negative economic and environmental impacts.

(d) Regular, long term collection, collation and dissemination of information on derelict fishing gear found within national jurisdictions

In the area, litter is found in the form of plastics, metal containers, wood, abandoned fishing gear, broken fishing nets, tyres and even entire automobiles in certain places.

(f) Assessment of preventive measures, incentives and disincentives relating to the loss and disposal of fishing gear at sea

Within the broader scope of marine litter, the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear requires more specific and sectoral solutions.

Evaluation of those parts of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries that deal with lost or discarded fishing gear

Recognizing the need for appropriate measures to minimize waste, discards, loss of fishing gear and other factors, which adversely affect fish stocks,

It is estimated that some 100,000 marine mammals die every year from entanglement or ingestion of fishing gear and related marine debris.

Multipurpose vessels are vessels which are designed so they can deploy more than one type of fishing gear without major modifications to the vessels.

Discarded fishing nets and other gear, such as plastics, constitute a significant danger to marine mammals and turtles in Australia's region and more generally.

81. Encourages States to raise awareness within their fishing sector and subregional and regional fisheries management organizations and arrangements of the issue of derelict fishing gear and related marine debris and to identify options for action

Further encourages States to raise awareness within their fishing sector and subregional and regional fisheries management organizations and arrangements of the issue of derelict fishing gear and related marine debris and to identify options for action

(a) Analysis of the implementation and effectiveness of the existing measures relevant to the control and management of derelict fishing gear and related marine debris

(h) Awareness raising within regional fisheries management organizations of the issue of derelict fishing gear and related marine debris and identification of options for action

The following are reports received from individual regional seas programmes on their respective activities vis à vis the problems of marine litter and abandoned fishing gear.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Seas Programme recognizes the immediate and direct interconnection between marine litter and lost and abandoned fishing gear and related debris.

Some delegations suggested that FAO address the issue of lost fishing gear and review the implementation of the Code of Conduct and explore possible cooperation with IMO.

The main sea based sources of marine litter are merchant shipping, ferries and cruise liners, fishing vessels (mainly as a source of abandoned or lost fishing gear), military fleets, research vessels, pleasure craft, offshore oil and gas platforms and aquaculture installations.

During the Cold War, some countries fitted fishing trawlers with additional electronic gear so they could be used as spy ships to monitor the activities of other countries.

(c) The establishment of a clearing house mechanism to facilitate the sharing of information between States on fishing net types and other gear used by fisheries around the world

(e) Development and implementation of targeted studies to determine the socio economic, technical and other factors that influence the accidental loss and deliberate disposal of fishing gear at sea

It was suggested that States and regional organizations be encouraged to review the outcome of the APEC Education and Outreach Seminar on Derelict Fishing Gear and related Marine Debris.

Lost or abandoned fishing gear is a significant and very persistent form of marine litter. It poses a threat to the marine environment, as well as to human life and activities.

Marine litter (e.g. discarded fishing gear) could be one issue for strengthened cooperation between the FAO Regional Fishery Bodies and the UNEP Regional Seas Programme in various parts of the world.

This initiative would provide a platform for inter agency cooperation and coordination of activities for the control and management of marine litter and derelict fishing gear as part of the project.

The view was expressed by some delegations that there was a need for States to support targeted studies to determine the factors that motivate the loss and disposal of fishing gear at sea.

In addition, the United States is pleased that the fisheries draft resolution more explicitly addresses the critical issue of marine debris and derelict fishing gear, which adversely affect marine living resources and their habitats.

82. Encourages the Committee on Fisheries to consider the issue of derelict fishing gear and related marine debris at its next meeting in 2007, and in particular the implementation of relevant provisions of the Code

(i) Consideration by the FAO Committee on Fisheries of the issue of derelict fishing gear and related marine debris at its next meeting, and in particular the implementation of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

It had three wheels as landing gear.

Therefore, regardless of the worm's size (sensible engineering limits notwithstanding), the gear ratio is the size of the worm gear to 1 .

The North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) agreed on an interim prohibition of fishing with gear which adversely affects the seabed on a number of seamounts and in a section of the Reykjanes ridge for a three year period.