Lost at Sea

Combating Abandoned, Lost and Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG)

Plastic pollution has a severe impact on oceans and marine life. It is estimated that up to two million tonnes of plastic leak into the ocean annually, provoking the death of approximately 100 million marine animals each year. Plastic emissions from the fishing industry alone, such as nets and lines, account for 10-100% of global marine pollution.

Since the adoption of the 2022 UNEA Resolution on plastic pollution, kicking of the Intergovernment Negotiating Committee’s talks on a plastic treaty, plastic pollution from fishing gear, particularly ALDFG, has come under scrutiny with many efforts to address this. This report, a product of the first PROBLUE Global Engagement Forum and developed by the World Bank, summarises actions that can be taken to manage ALDFG in the context of the three life cycle stages of fishing gear: design and production, usage, and end-of-life. 

The report references one of the SMEP Programme’s grantees under the Plastics Portfolio, Catchgreen and consortium partners, who are piloting biodegradable ropes to be used in seaweed farming, coral restoration and fishing nets. 

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Date

November 2024

Author

World Bank

Type

Report

Countries

Themes

Plastic Pollution, Plastic Substitution

Resources

Access the report here

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