Derelict Fishing Essay

Accidentally lost, intentionally discarded or abandoned fishing equipment is known as derelict fishing gear or marine debris. Historically, derelict fishing gear was not identified as an imminent threat to marine ecosystems. It was typically constructed with natural materials such as cotton or jute that degrade easily in the marine environment. However, the amount of derelict fishing gear has risen substantially over the past few decades due to increased fishing effort and the transition to durable, synthetic materials like nylon. These new materials resist deterioration and persist in the ocean for years. Derelict fishing gear harms the marine ecosystem in a variety of ways, like creating hazardous boating conditions and disturbing the

demonstrate that removal of derelict fishing gear has significant, positive economic benefits. In their quantitative assessment of the direct impact of debris on marine resources, four known derelict nets were repeatedly surveyed by divers over the course of approximately one month. Entangled animals were observed, counted and tagged. Using this data, daily entanglement rates were estimated for various taxa. For example, the average number of invertebrates entangled per day was about 3 and the average number of fish entangled per day was 0.42. Costs incurred in locating and removing derelict nets were determined to be about $1,358 per net, and included expenses such as surveys, vessel, and disposal of derelict fishing gear. Economic benefits of marine debris removal were calculated according to the expected age of the net, the average weight of marine life recovered from the derelict gear, and the average value of the commercially important organisms saved by the net’s removal. In one example, a 10-year old net that catches about two pounds of crab per day wastes $19,656 worth of the resource. The cost-benefit ratio for recovery of this net was $1,358:$19,656 or 1: 14.5. According to the authors, this ratio justifies derelict fishing gear removal based on the value of commercial species impacted. These results enhance the position that marine debris management is