08/02/2024
Quantity
Between 500,000 and 1 million tons of fishing gear are Discarded nets, lines, and ropes make up about 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Plastics can also persist in marine environments below the photic zone, especially on the deep seabed, with low degradation.estimated to be lost or discarded in the ocean each year, making up at least 10% of marine litter. This includes 5.7% of fishing nets, 8.6% of traps and pots, and 29% of fishing lines.
Impact
Ghost gear can be lethal to marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, and more. For example, 870 ghost nets recovered off Washington State contained over 32,000 marine animals, including more than 500 birds and mammals. Ghost gear can also impact fish, with estimates that it fishes between 5% and 30% of harvestable fish globally.
Location
Discarded nets, lines, and ropes make up about 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Plastics can also persist in marine environments below the photic zone, especially on the deep seabed, with low degradation.
