A Ghostly Tale For World Oceans Day

Source– The post is based on the article “ A Ghostly Tale For World Oceans Day ” published in “The Times of India” on 8th june 2023.

Syllabus: GS3 – Environment Pollution

Relevance: Issues related to Marine life

News- The article highlights the importance of ocean health and conservation of marine life on World Ocean Day.

What are the issues related to oceans?

The FAO report indicates 30% of the world’s ocean stocks are over-exploited, depleted or recovering from depletion caused by various factors. These factors are overfishing, by-catch of species caught in fishing gears, climate change, marine debris etc.

Every year an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic waste end up in the oceans.

Abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear commonly is referred to as ‘ghost gear’. It accounts for roughly 10% of all marine debris accumulating in our marine environment

What are the problems created by ghost gear?

Ghost gear is a threat to biodiversity and marine habitats, especially corals and endangered species like sharks, turtles and dugongs.

Ghost gear also causes increased operational costs for boat owners. Lost gear is a hazard to boat navigation and safety at sea.

Significant costs are incurred to remove entangled gear from propellers or engines. Entangled gear causes breakdowns leading to costs of repair and rescue, and loss of fuel.

What are the solutions in this regard?

Ocean clean-ups can remove ghost gear. It is all-important to have strategies at landing centres and fishing harbours to prevent ghost-gear pollution.

Governments, companies and gear manufacturers should incentivise – by money or discounts and access facilities – fishers to return used and damaged fishing gear.

Fishing gears collected should be part of a ‘circular economy’ for recycling or upcycling, transformed into art, ornaments or sports nets among other useful things.

Eliminating ghost gear from the ocean requires commitment, cooperation and innovation at every level throughout the fishing-gear supply chain

There is a need to spread awareness among fishers by training local communities in upcycling ghost nets.

An untapped potential of ghost gear creates new business opportunities and additional sources of income for marginalized fishing communities.