Global Ghost Gear Initiative

What is the Global Ghost Gear Initiative?

As a multi-stakeholder alliance committed to driving solutions to the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear worldwide, the GGGI aims to improve the health of marine ecosystems, protect marine animals from harm, and safeguard human health and livelihoods.

Founded by World Animal Protection on the best available science and technology, the GGGI is the first initiative dedicated to tackling the problem of ghost fishing gear at a global scale.

The GGGI’s strength lies in the diversity of its participants including the fishing industry, the private sector, academia, governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations. Every participant has a critical role to play to mitigate ghost gear locally, regionally and globally.

Our mission

To ensure safer, cleaner oceans by driving economically viable and sustainable solutions to the problem of ghost fishing gear globally.

The GGGI aims

  • To improve the health of marine ecosystems
  • To protect marine animals from harm
  • To safeguard human health and livelihoods

The GGGI in action

Three GGGI Working Groups have been established to:

Build evidence

This group is collecting data locally and regionally and standardising it globally to understand ghost gear abundance, causes, impacts and trends. The evidence will then be used to prioritise solutions in ‘hotspot’ areas where ghost gear is a particular problem.

Define best practices and inform policies

This group is developing best practice guidance on the management of fishing gear at the different stages of its life. This guidance will be used to influence government and industry policies to ensure enhanced mitigation of the ghost gear problem globally.

Catalyse and replicate solutions

This group is expanding and replicating existing effective solutions and developing new ways to tackle the problem. They are particularly focused on solutions that are integrated into scalable business models.

Find out more about ghost gear solutions around the globe >

Images: World Animal Protection, NOAA and NMFS

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