Ghost Fishing: Deaths We Can Prevent
- Zhizhen Chen
- Jul 5
- 2 min read
“I strongly agree that each preventable death is one death too many.” [1] This quote, said by Christy Turlington rang loudly in my ear as I read about the crisis of ghost fishing. Unbeknownst to most, every year, millions of ghost fishing nets enter the oceans, and up to 65,000 marine animals are killed by them. This includes not only fish, but also seals, turtles, dolphins, and even whales. [2] As humanity’s impact on Earth grows ever stronger, small things that didn’t seem like such a big deal in the past are the largest problems we face today.
Derelict fishing gear, most commonly called ‘ghost gear,’ is fishing gear that is left abandoned in the marine environment. [3] The act of “ghost fishing” is when the derelict fishing gear continues to catch and kill marine life. Since its discovery in the 1960s, research regarding the matter has only increased. [4] Though countries try their best to learn more about the problem and remove these harmful traps, gathering data on the lost gear is no easy task. While trash in the ocean sometimes remains in nearby waters, it can be transported anywhere by winds and waves. [5] With no tracking devices on the gear, finding, studying, and disposing of them poses a difficult challenge.
So, what can we do? With numbers reaching millions, increased deaths, seemingly no efficient way to get rid of the gear, solving this problem doesn’t seem possible. However, what we need to do might not be to solve the problem, but prevent it from becoming worse. The World Wildlife Fund provides a good guide to how we can achieve this. Governments should make better policies surrounding the disposal of fishing gear. Fishing gear companies could work to research ways to make more eco-friendly products. Fishers should use their fishing gear more carefully. And lastly, we as civilians should spread awareness and report any ghost fishing sightings that we see. [6]
Though we can do nothing to revive the countless innocent lives of marine animals harmed by our own human carelessness, we can do our best to prevent more deaths from occurring. We must take action, raise awareness, and stop ghost fishing before it escalates even further. Perhaps what you do might not seem like anything at all. But whatever you do, no matter how small, can prevent the death of one more fish, one more turtle, one more whale.
Because each preventable death is one death too many. And you can change that.
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