Ghost nets T Stachura The invisible problem of

Ghost nets © T. Stachura The invisible problem of the (and not only) Baltic Sea Ewa Milewska The Project”Collecting Ghost Nets in the Baltic Sea” was funded by Baltic Sea 2020

GHOST NETS © WWF/ W. Wójtowicz Lying at the seabed, abandoned, unmarked fishing gears or their parts.

Main reasons for the occurrence of ghost nets in the sea • In the past, collisions of gears with other objects, called “hooks”, during hauling also caused by the lack of precise navigation devices; • Incidental loss of fishing gears due to unfavourable weather conditions; • Damage of set nets by trawls used by other vessels; • Damage of identifying marks of fishing gears by cargo ships; • Litter form cargo ships (sometimes as big as cars and containers); • Intended loss due to the lack of accessible possibilities to dispose ghost nets removed from the sea, high costs of recycling.

GHOST NETS They can still catch fish! © WWF/ W. Wójtowicz Fishing capacity of lost nets varies from 20% to 6% of their initial capacity.

© WWF/ W. Wójtowicz This additional 6% can disrupt the stability of fish stocks–

© WWF/ W. Wójtowicz And negatively influence the ecological balance of the Baltic Sea

„ 8. 4. 6 States should cooperate to develop and apply technologies, materials and operational methods that minimize the loss of fishing gear and the ghost fishing effects of lost or abandoned fishing gear. ” © WWF/ W. A. Kassolikz FAO CODE OF CONDUCT FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES

INTERNATIONAL GUIDELINES ON BYCATCH MANAGEMENT AND REDUCTION OF DISCARDS States and RFMO/As should consider measures to address the impact of pre-catch losses and ghost fishing on living aquatic resources. (iii) developing technologies and measures that quantify, and reduce, the mortalities and impacts associated with pre-catch losses and ghost fishing. This may include (…) identification of gear ownership, reduction of gear losses, development of gear retrieval procedures and programs, and reducing, and where possible eliminating, fishing power of lost gear, e. g. through the use of degradable materials.

2011 - POLAND 2012 – LITHUANIA AND POLAND 15 days of actions at sea aimed at retrieving ghost nets from the sea bottom 4 288 kg 67 days of actions at sea aimed at retrieving ghost nets from the sea bottom 14 429 kg 2 shipwrecks cleaned up by divers 1807 kg 8 shipwrecks cleaned up by divers 2 826 kg Ghost nets retrieved by Maritime Office in Gdynia (Poland) 4 020 kg TOTAL 6 095 kg TOTAL 21 275 kg

OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT 82 days of actions at sea in Poland Lithuania and 10 shipwrecks cleaned up Five fishing vessels engaged in retrieving actions 27 370 kg of ghost nets retrieved during two years of actions

COOPERATION WWF AND PARTNERS ADMINISTRATION SCIENTISTS FISHERMAN

INTERACTIVE MAP OF „HOOKS”

© WWF/ W. Wójtowicz 27, 3 tonnes of ghost net retrieved 1 500 set nets lost annually in the Polish economic zone 270 – 810 tonnes of ghost nets deposited in the Polish economic zone and 150 in the Lithuanian economic zone 67 - 100 tonnes in the Lithuanian economic zone

WHAT’S NEXT? WHO? HOW? FUNDED BY?

Thank you for your attention Ewa Milewska WWF Poland The Collecting Ghost Nets in the Baltic Sea Project was funded by Baltic Sea 2020