Ocean Conservancy urges countries to adopt discarded fishing gear provisions in upcoming round of Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.
The global plastics treaty aims to reduce global plastic pollution but Ocean Conservancy says discarded fishing gear, known as “ghost gear”, has been “largely absent” from the conversation.
Ocean Conservancy is a UN-accredited negotiating organisation that advocates for policy solutions worldwide through its Global Ghost Gear Initiative.
Research from the organisation found that ghost gear is the deadliest form of marine debris followed by balloons and plastic bags. The organisation says that despite these statistics discarded fishing gear was not mentioned in the treaty resolution adopted in March 2022.
The vast majority of fishing gear is made of plastics, meaning once in the ocean, rivers, or lakes, it never fully goes away.
The UN is set to host the second formal round of negotiations for an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) on plastic pollution between 29 May and 2 June in Paris.
Joel Baziuk, Associate Director of Ocean Conservancy’s Global Ghost Gear Initiative and 20-year veteran of the Canadian fishing industry, commented: “The vast majority of fishing gear is made of plastics, meaning once in the ocean, rivers, or lakes, it never fully goes away.
“And because fishing gear is designed to trap and kill marine life, it can continue to do so indefinitely. Ghost gear is not only devastating for our ocean, but for the fishers and communities that depend on it for their livelihoods.”