Abandoned, Lost or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) in Tuna Pole-and-Line Fisheries

Abstract

The fishing industry is recognized as one of the primary sources of at-sea marine litter, largely through its contributions via abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). Individual fleet’s contributions to ALDFG vary significantly across this global industry. While much information is available for some fisheries, the rate of ALDFG remains poorly known for many techniques. In this study, we used data collected by fisheries observers onboard pole-and-line fishing vessels in the Azores (Atlantic Ocean) and the Maldives (Indian Ocean) to provide an accurate and representative estimate of ALDFG for this gear. Our analysis of 993 fishing events demonstrated ALDFG contributions much lower than have been recorded for any other commercial tuna fishing gear. Overall, we found that an angler loses some monofilament line in 1.4% (±0.2) of fishing events. This informs that for every thousand tonnes of tuna harvested using this fishing technique, 0.3 kg of nylon is entering the marine environment. Globally, we estimate that all pole-and-line fisheries together contribute to 96 kg ± 42.6 kg of ALDFG per year. These results further evidence the low environmental impact of this traditional fishing practice, as well as the need for other methods to convert to less damaging gears.

Lost Gear on Blue Swimming Crab Fisheries in Banten Bay: Case of Abandoned, Lost or Discarded Fishing Gear

“…Sementara itu di Laut Jawa, estimasi jumlah jaring insang yang tertinggal mencapai 3,11 lembar per kapal per tahun (Wibowo et al 2017). Hasil penelitian Pham et al (2021) Pada alat tangkap garuk kerang dan jaring apolo, kehilangan alat tangkap juga disebabkan oleh kesalahan nelayan saat mengoperasikan alat tangkap. Kesalahan tersebut dapat berupa pemasangan tali-temali yang tidak sempurna, kecepatan kapal yang terlalu tinggi, penggunaan panjang tali selambar yang tidak sesuai serta kesalahan memperkirakan daerah penangkapan yang aman.…”