Plastic Fishing Gear and the Global Plastics Treaty

In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly committed to addressing the ever-growing threat of plastic pollution and established the Global Plastics Treaty. The treaty aims to regulate the full lifecycle of plastic from production to disposal. This includes regulation of the most harmful marine plastic pollution: Abandoned, Lost, or

Discarded Fishing and aquaculture Gear (ALDFG). 

It is estimated that over 11000 tonnes of ALDFG enters European seas annually, the majority of which is non-degradable plastic. This is driven by several factors. When fishing gear is lost due to extreme environmental conditions, retrieval is difficult and costly, thus it is often abandoned. Additionally, there is inadequate infrastructure for disposal of end-of-life fishing gear, creating logistical barriers and disincentivising proper disposal. 

Accumulation of fishing and aquaculture gear in the ocean poses a serious threat to marine life and ecosystems. Marine animals become entangled in ALDFG, suffering severe injury or fatal consequences. Ingestion of plastic fishing gear leads to blockages and internal build-ups of toxic plastic. ALDFG is also a leading source of microplastic pollution in the oceans. Long-term exposure to the environment causes nets and lines to break down into microplastic particles, which can disrupt healthy functions and contaminate the entire food chain. 

Many marine animals impacted by ALDFG are already endangered; losing populations to plastic threatens the stability of our ocean ecosystems. Furthermore, this can reduce fishery stocks, negatively impacting global food security and communities that depend on fishing. 

For the treaty to effectively reduce the impact of ALDFG, it must address the following points. (1) Production and use of sustainable fishing gear should be made more accessible. (2) Fishing gear disposal and recycling facilities should be widely available. (3) Recovery programmes should be initiated to mitigate impacts of current ALDFG waste and microplastic pollution. By establishing a legal framework considering these factors, the Global Plastic Treaty can incorporate fishing and aquaculture gear into a sustainable future. 

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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk

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