Derelict Fishing Gear

Globally, marine debris, including derelict fishing gear, continuous threatens the marine environment. Marine debris adversely impacts marine life through the destruction of essential habitat, entanglement, ghost fishing, and ingestion. Humans are the sole source of all marine debris. In general terms, the majority of marine debris comes from land-based sources related to urban centers while shipping related debris can be found in more remote areas.

Beginning in 1996, NOAA Fisheries Service, through the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, along with state and federal partners, began to remove derelict fishing gear from the islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). In 2001, the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program began supporting a large scale effort to remove derelict fishing gear. To date, this partnership has removed 442 metric tons of derelict fishing gear.

As the problem of derelict fishing gear is not a unique one to the NWHI, there is on feature that is unique. The derelict fishing gear arriving in the NWHI comes from distant water fisheries of the North Pacific. This is in contrast to many of the other areas where the derelict fishing gear comes from the local fisheries.

In order to build reduce derelict fishing gear and to build marine stewardship, NOAA Fisheries Service and the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, have participated in activities to engage the international community and regional fishery management organizations.

APEC Seminar on Derelict Fishing Gear and Related Marine Debris: An Educational Outreach Seminar Among APEC Partners 13-16 January 2004 Honolulu, Hawaii

The Department of State hosted an Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) derelict fishing seminar in Honolulu, HI on January 13-16. The purpose of this seminar was to raise international awareness of the problems of derelict fishing gear and related marine debris. Policy makers, industry leaders and fishermen came together to exchange information about best practices and experiences, to examine options to minimize net and gear loss, and to review regulatory and infrastructure mechanisms related to gear loss and disposal. The workshop began examining how the APEC Economies might develop economic incentives to minimize gear loss and ensure proper disposal and how one might take action in appropriate multilateral fora to address this problem.

Highlights from the Workshop Report:

1. Seminar Agenda;
2. Forward by Mr. Collin L. McIff;
3. Seminar Report and Recommendations;
4. Participant List including the APEC representatives and Participant Biographies;
5. The Bellaigo Turtle Report and FAO report on Marking of Fishing Gear; and
6. List of Sponsors.

In Nov. 2004, NOAA initiated an outreach effort to the Regional Fishery Management Organizations. A poster was developed on derelict fishing gear and ways to ensure marine stewardship and brought to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna Nov. 2004 meeting.

Return to the NMFS coral reef fisheries management page.

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