A set of draft Voluntary Guideline on marking fishing gear have been adopted by countries to monitor the use of fishing gear which is predominant made from plastic.

Approximately eight million tonnes of plastic litter, up to 10 per cent of which is estimated to come from the fisheries sector, ends up in oceans every year.

At least 6,40,000 tonne fishing gear is thought to be lost or abandoned in the oceans every year. To make seas cleaner and navigation safer, countries, on February 9, agreed on a set of draft Voluntary Guidelines on Marking Fishing Gear. The guidelines are expected to receive final endorsement by the Food and Agricultural Organization’s (FAO) Committee on Fisheries in July 2018.

Lost, abandoned or discarded fishing gear, made predominantly of plastic, is a significant component of marine debris and has been a concern of FAO Members for decades. Approximately eight million tonne of plastic litter, up to ten percent of which is estimated to come from the fisheries sector, ends up in our oceans every year.

These guidelines are aimed to help countries to develop effective systems for marking fishing gear trace it to the owner. This will support efforts to reduce marine debris and its harmful impacts on the marine environment, fish stocks, and safe navigation. Local authorities will be easily able to monitor how fishing gear is being used in their waters, which makes them an efficient tool in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

“Appropriate marking is an effective tool for improving overall fishing gear management, preventing abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear, facilitating its retrieval and potentially identifying illegal fishing operations,” said Árni M Mathiesen, FAO Assistant Director-General for Fisheries.  

How does fishing gear get lost?

Fishing gear is often lost through uncontrollable circumstances – such as storms or accidents – or because there are no adequate facilities at ports for the reception of fishing gear. However, sometimes fishing gear is also dumped by vessels engaged in IUU fishing.

Abandoned fishing nets break down over a period of time into microplastic pieces, which become accessible to a wide range of organisms including small fish and plankton, and may cause serious toxicological harm to marine wildlife, says FAO.

Considering the level of fishing gear debris in oceans, the global fishing industry and governments have recognised the urgency to address the issue across all relevant sectors, including the environment, fishery management and regulation. Click here to read more