A review of the magnitude, impacts of abandoned / lost fishing gear and options for mitigation

Food and Agricultural Organisation FAO - Project Dates:

Description of Project:
Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a problem that is increasingly of concern. Various United National General Assembly resolutions now provide a mandate for, and indeed require, action to reduce ALDFG. However there is a lack of good information about a) the reasons for ALDFG, b) the extent of the problem, and c) the most effective solutions for ensuring that the prevalence of ALDFG is reduced in the future.

Services Provided:
Poseidon prepared a Technical Paper, the principle purpose of which was to consider a number of discrete issues related to ALDFG;
- What is the magnitude and composition of ALDFG;
- What are the impacts of ALDFG on the marine environment and what are the financial costs;
- Why is fishing gear abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded;
- What is being done to combat ALDFG and how successful are these initiatives proving to be;
- Recommendations on a range of possible solutions to reduce ALDFG.