Victims of Ghost Gear Include

Coastal Communities

Resources & Guides

• Effective Ghost Gear Solutions (PDF) "This report was commissioned jointly by the Global Ghost Gear Initiative® (GGGI), Ocean Conservancy, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to showcase progress preventing harm from ghost gear globally.1 It outlines a path forward that builds on existing successful projects and capitalizes on the energy and expertise of the many individuals, organizations, and governments determined to alleviate the problem of ghost gear. The report:

  • Summarizes current global understanding of fishing gear loss, causes of loss, and negative impacts of ghost gear;

  • Describes effective best practices implemented around the world to address the problem in successful projects; and

  • Identifies policy and practical steps needed to continue progress on reducing harm from ghost gear worldwide. 

The GGGI Best Practice Framework for the Management of Fishing Gear (BPF) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear (VGMFG) are highlighted as guiding principles that “come to life” in the hands of creative and passionate people from diverse backgrounds, organizations, and governments. Case studies illustrate programs that work and showcase strategies proven to reduce harmful impacts of ghost gear. Each successful case study was uniquely developed for a specific location, fishery, or community with wide cross-sectoral stakeholder involvement and particular attention paid to fishers’ roles.

There is much more work to be done, certainly. This report lays out a path for progress at different scales, highlighting what can be done by the many fisheries stakeholders. We hope this document inspires and galvanizes even more progress on this critical issue for our ocean."

Asia

• Ghost Diving East Med

Hong Kong

• Ghost Diving Hong Kong "we approach ghost net removal operations with the mindset o..."

• Healthy Seas "is a registered charity founded in 2013 to tackle the ghost fishing phenomenon that is responsible for the needless death of marine animals."

UK

• Ghost Diving UK

• Healthy Seas "is a registered charity founded in 2013 to tackle the ghost fishing phenomenon that is responsible for the needless death of marine animals."

Oceana

Australia

• Ghost Net Initiative "The Australian Government has launched the Ghost Nets Initiative to tackle the issue of ghost nets and plastic litter in the waters and beaches of northern Australia."

• Tackle Loop "What to do with old, unwanted, and broken fishing gear? OzFish is answering this important question by providing the resources and knowledge to support rec fishers to recycle and reuse old gear."

• Tangle Bins "give fishers the ability to do the right thing and put their discarded tackle and washed out bait-bags into a purpose build bin located close to their favourite fishing spots.
  
  They also provide much needed fishing line disposal infrastructure, increasing the drive for recreational fishers and the wider community to pick up and throw away fishing litter, that could otherwise end up in our waterways."

• The Yabby Trap Round-Up "We’ve teamed up with TierraMar, through its Ghostnets Australia program, in collaboration with the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to bring you The Yabby Trap Round-Up. We’re looking to collect all your old and unwanted Opera House yabby traps and recycle them into useful products for fishers, with the proceeds being used to support habitat restoration."

New Zealand

• Ghost Diving NZ (GDNZ) is the New Zealand branch of an international organisation who collaborate worldwide with various local groups of technical and salvage divers to remove lost fishing gear.
  
  GDNZ have embraced this concept and diversified it by also removing rubbish and debris, fishing gear, abandoned fishing nets and various other dumped items we find from the local environment.
  
  Check our website and follow us on socials to  keep informed of events, coastline clean-ups, access discounted training sessions and support our efforts to make our wonderful country even more beautiful."

• Healthy Seas "is a registered charity founded in 2013 to tackle the ghost fishing phenomenon that is responsible for the needless death of marine animals."

Grants & Funding

North America

USA

• Caring for our Coast Gulf Region Grant Program "Restore America’s Estuaries is excited to partner with CITGO to facilitate the Caring for our Coast grants to organizations and groups hosting locally-based volunteer events in the Gulf of Mexico region. These grants are intended to provide coastal groups with funding to host beach clean-ups, estuary restoration, or other educational/outreach events."

Connecticut

• Southeast New England Program (SNEP)

Massachusetts

• Southeast New England Program (SNEP)

Rhode Island

• Southeast New England Program (SNEP)