Latest news with #FisherySurveyofIndia
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Researchers discover 'hotspots' of dangerous issue in fishing industry: 'Not every fisherman is aware of the dangers'
When we think of plastic pollution in the ocean, we might think of discarded bottles and other litter, or even microplastics like nurdles. But one of the major components of this plastic problem is actually "ghost nets" or "ghost gear" left behind by commercial fishing vessels. Researchers surveying the coast of India collected thousands of pounds of this ghost gear between 2021 and 2024, highlighting the problem, The Times of India reported. The survey vessels MFV Matsya Shikari and MVF Matsya Darshini of the Fishery Survey of India have spent several years going up and down the coast near Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, trawling the bottom of the ocean. They have recovered 5,562 kilograms (12,262 pounds, or over six tons) of ghost fishing gear, including nets, ropes, containers, and covers. Researchers discovered 15 "hotspots" where trash was heavily concentrated. Nets commonly wear out every eight to 10 months, and it's not uncommon to lose them. "If stuck in a rock while fishing, we pull the net out, but it tears, and the torn bit goes underwater, choking olive ridley turtles and fish," said Surada Satyanarayana, general secretary of Visakha Dolphin Boat Operators Welfare Association, per the Times of India. Indeed, left-behind gear is a hazard for marine life, entangling and strangling a wide range of creatures. It can even snare boat propellers and cause severe damage, costing people money. Because nets snare on rocks and coral and because plastic doesn't decompose, nets can stay on the bottom, disrupting the ecosystem for essentially forever. "Not every fisherman is aware of the dangers of ghost nets," said Satyanarayana. "However, some of them collect and hand over the ghost nets at collection centers for such items." Those collection centers are one of the biggest ways officials fight the problem. Local civic authorities run collection centers to gather and recycle worn-out and damaged fishing gear, rather than having fishers leave it in the ocean. But public awareness is critical to ensure these programs are used. "They need to be encouraged to recover ghost nets for proper disposal. Public awareness through communication can be a powerful tool to tackle the ghost nets menace," said GVA Prasad, scientist at FSI-Visakhapatnam, per the Times of India. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Ghost gear poses threat to marine life on Andhra Pradesh coast
Visakhapatnam: Over the past three years (Oct 2021 to Aug 2024), survey vessels MFV Matsya Shikari and MVF Matsya Darshini of the Fishery Survey of India (FSI), during bottom trawl operations, retrieved 5,562 kgs of ghost gear, plastic litter comprising gill nets, trawl net, nylon ropes, plastic bottles, plastic containers, plastic covers, and other plastic materials between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts. Ghost fishing gear not only poses a threat to marine creatures but also to underwater ecology. FSI Visakhapatnam has identified 15 hotspots of ghost gear across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts. Of the 15 hotspots, 10 are on AP coast while five on Odisha coast. FSI vessels retrieved 2,000 kgs of ghost gear off Paradip (Odisha), 1,202 kg off Bheemunipatnam (AP), 920 kgs off Pudimadaka (AP), and 320 kgs each off Chintapalli and Kalingapatnam coasts in AP from the 15 hotspots. Ghost nets are lost, abandoned or discarded fishing nets in the oceans that drift underwater, and strangle and kill fish, coral reefs, turtles and other organisms. The problem of ghost fishing nets is prevalent in marine areas along AP and Odisha coasts. Due to the presence of rocky habitat, the nets get entangled at the rocky bottom. As it is difficult to retrieve the nets, fishermen discard them in the sea which stay there forever. C Dhananjaya Rao, mechanical marine engineer with FSI-Visakhapatnam, said ghost nets, besides killing marine animals due to trapping, also disturb the ecosystem and can cause damage to boats as a result of getting entangled in the propeller. We have been conducting awareness meetings among fishermen to address the concern of ghost nets and their impact on marine life in the coastal districts. Ghost gear and marine plastic litter were segregated and handed over to local civic bodies for proper disposal. Fishermen have been asked to hand over torn nets and marine plastic to collection centres of civic bodies so that local agencies can recycle the discarded fishing nets," Rao said. According to GVA Prasad, scientist at FSI-Visakhapatnam, it is important to educate the fishing community about the negative impact of ghost nets on marine environment. "They need to be encouraged to recover ghost nets for proper disposal. Public awareness through communication can be a powerful tool to tackle the ghost nets menace," he opined. Polythene or nylon fishnets usually wear out every 8-10 months. "If stuck in a rock while fishing, we pull the net out, but it tears, and the torn bit goes underwater, choking Olive Ridley turtles and fish. Not every fisherman is aware of the dangers of host nets. However, some of them collect and hand over the ghost nets at collection centres for such items," said Surada Satyanarayana, general secretary of Visakha Dolphin Boat Operators Welfare Association.
