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Ghost nets

Invisible problem of the (and

not only) Baltic Sea

Piotr Prędki

The Collecting Ghost Nets in the Baltic Sea Project was funded by Baltic Sea 2020

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GHOST NETS

Lying at the seabed,

abandoned,

unmarked fishing

gears or their parts.

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Main reasons for the occurrence of

ghost nets in the sea

• in the past, imprecise navigation was caused by the lack of

accurate navigation devices;

• in the past, collisions of gears with other objects, called

“hooks”, during hauling were caused by the lack of precise

navigation devices;

• loss of fishing gears due to unfavorable weather conditions;

• Damaging of set nets by trawls used by other vessels;

• Damaging of identifying marks of fishing gears by cargo ships;

• Polluting the sea with new “hooks” by throwing overboard from

cargo ships such objects like cars, containers and other litter;

• Lack of accessible possibilities to dispose of and utilize

the ghost nets removed from the sea as well as high costs

of recycling.

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GHOST NETS

They can still

catch fish! Fishing capacity of

lost nets varies from

20% to 6% of their

initial capacity.

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GHOST NETS

This additional 6% can

disrupt the stability of

fish stocks– mainly

demersal fish species.

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GHOST NETS

And negatively

influence the

ecological balance

of the Baltic Sea

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CODE OF CONDUCT FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES

„8.4.6 States should

cooperate to develop

and apply technologies,

materials and

operational methods

that minimize the loss of

fishing gear and the

ghost fishing effects of

lost or abandoned

fishing gear.”

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INTERNATIONAL GUIDELINES ON BYCATCH MANAGEMENT AND

REDUCTION OF DISCARDS

States and RFMO/As should consider measures to

address the impact of pre-catch losses and ghost

fishing on living aquatic resources.

(iii) developing technologies and measures that quantify,

and reduce, the mortalities and impacts associated with

pre-catch losses and ghost fishing. This may include (…)

identification of gear ownership, reduction of gear

losses, development of gear retrieval procedures and

programs, and reducing, and where possible

eliminating, fishing power of lost gear, e.g. through

the use of degradable materials.

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2011 - POLAND 2012 – LITHUANIA AND POLAND

15 days of actions

at sea aimed at

retrieving ghost nets

from the sea bottom

4 288 kg 67 days of actions

at sea aimed at

retrieving ghost nets

from the sea bottom

14 429 kg

2 shipwrecks

cleaned up by divers

1807 kg 8 shipwrecks

cleaned up by divers

2 826 kg

Ghost nets retrieved

by Maritime Office in

Gdynia (Poland)

4 020 kg

TOTAL 6 095 kg TOTAL 21 275 kg

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OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT

Five fishing vessels engaged in retrieving actions

82 days of actions at sea in Poland and Lithuania and 10 shipwrecks cleaned up

27 370 kg of ghost nets retrieved during two years of actions

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COOPERATION

FISHERMAN SCIENTISTS

ADMINISTRATION

WWF AND PARTNERS

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INTERACTIVE MAP OF „HOOKS”

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INTERACTIVE MAP OF „HOOKS”

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27,3 tonnes

of ghost net

retrieved

1 500 set nets

lost annually in

the Polish

economic zone

and

150 in the

Lithuanian

economic zone

270 – 810 tonnes of

ghost nets deposited

in the Polish

economic zone

and

67 - 100 tonnes in

the Lithuanian

economic zone

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WHO?

HOW?

FUNDED BY?

WHAT’S NEXT?

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Thank you for your attention

Piotr Prędki

Project leader

WWF Poland

The Collecting Ghost Nets in the Baltic Sea Project was funded by Baltic Sea 2020