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Ghosts beneath the waves - fish tangled in ghost gear - Sea Change - World Animal Protection

As fishing intensifies, more fishing gear is being lost or abandoned and this is contributing to our ocean’s plastic problem. It's harming sea animals, marine ecosystems and global fish stocks

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Ghosts beneath the waves

Producers and distributors of seafood have a huge role to play in tackling the problem of ‘ghost gear’, the term given to lost and abandoned fishing equipment.

We believe that our oceans and the life within them should be protected. And seafood companies can be part of the solution.

Some companies are already acting to help marine animals. And it’s working. Now we want others to act too.

The ghost gear problem is getting worse. As a result, marine animals are suffering. When animals like whales and seals get entangled or swallow pieces of plastic from ghost gear, it can lead to malnutrition, mutilation and cause a slow and painful death.

Our Ghosts beneath the waves report found that 80% of the largest seafood companies do not yet have an effective way of dealing with abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear.

Only three companies, Young's, Tri Marine and Thai Union, have established policies or are part of projects to tackle ghost gear.

Fewer than half of seafood companies have policies that effectively address sea litter and pollution.

Share our social media post below, and ask more seafood companies to protect our oceans and the animals that call it home.

Read the full report

The ghost gear problem 

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We’re working with governments, seafood companies and other non-governmental organisations to rid our oceans from ghost gear. Sign up to follow our progress on Ghosts beneath the waves. Let’s move the world to protect animals together.

Ghost gear is harming marine animals across the globe and turning our oceans into death traps.

Our report found that:

  • since 2012, the number of species affected by marine debris has increased by over 23%
  • more than half of the ocean’s macroplastics measured by weight is fishing related
  • ghost gear contributes to an estimated 5 to 30% decline in some fish stock levels
  • as many as 92% of encounters between marine animals and debris, including ghost gear, involves plastic debris
  • almost half of all threatened species are impacted by ghost gear

That’s why we’re asking you to spread the word on Facebook – and tell seafood companies they can be part of the solution.

Previous reports

2019 report executive summary

2018 report executive summary

The deadliest catch: World’s biggest seafood companies must do more
Rescuing entangled sea life

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