What is ghost fishing?
Ghost fishing is the loss or purposeful neglect of damaged fishing nets by fishermen or fisheries in the seas due to torn, useless fishing nets discarded carelessly by fishermen, or cut loose by illegal fishermen at the sight of a patrol boat. These nets, often nearly invisible in the dim light, can be left entangled on fragile coral reefs, strangulating them, or can drift in the ocean, trapping a plethora of marine life. Acting as designed, these nets restrict movement, causing starvation, laceration, infection, and suffocation for those air breathing birds, reptiles, and mammals that must to return to the surface to breathe.
How is ghost fishing prevented?
Ghost net extraction programs are found around the globe, and help to save thousands of marine animals. Trained divers go in groups to cut away net from rocks. Buy back plans and trading of used fishing equipment encourages fishermen to bring back their nets and sell them instead of abandoning them in the water where they can entangle marine organisms. By placing laws making fisherman liable for their fishing equipment we can greatly reduce the toll of ghost fishing. Every dollar, every email, every facebook "like", makes a difference. Your effort can combat ghost fishing.
Below is a video on ghost net removal.