Ghost gear is discarded, lost, or abandoned fishing gear, which continues to trap and kill fish, crustaceans, and other sea creatures. While this only makes up 1% of all fishing gear, 640,000 metric tons of fishing gear is left in the ocean every year, and more than 650,000 marine animals are killed or injured in fishing nets every year.

 

The Ghost Gear Project aims to consolidate information relevant to mitigating the problem of ghost gear in our oceans. The website includes basic visualizations to introduce users like you to the issue as well as a curated list of current research and databases. This website is meant to be a starting point for all persons interested in ghost gear, whether that be policymakers, NGOs, or the general public. To build partnerships, we recommend perusing the list of contacts. On the right is a sample of current proposed solutions and mitigations.