Plastic waste pollutes every corner of the ocean, threatens aquatic wildlife, and even ends up in the seafood we buy and eat. Despite growing awareness, the problem continues to get worse. Ghost gear is one of the deadliest forms of marine plastic debris, given it is one of the most damaging types of marine plastic pollution for both species and habitats. Ghost gear can continue to catch species unselectively for years, potentially decimating important food resources as well as endangered species, such as marine mammals, seabirds, sharks, and turtles.
While the unattended consequences of plastic use are finally beginning to receive the attention they warrant, the impacts of ghost gear are less visible and understood. Increasingly, companies are becoming interested in learning more about this problem and can now engage to be part of a solution to stop ghost gear.
