Huge
quantities of discarded fishing nets killing marine turtles
January
2013. Australia's national science agency, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation (CSIRO) scientists working with GhostNets Australia and
Indigenous rangers are identifying hotspots where lost fishing nets are
threatening marine biodiversity.
640,000
tonnes of fishing nets discarded every year
Worldwide, around 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear is lost or discarded each year. These ‘ghostnets' can continue fishing for decades, entangling huge numbers of marine animals, including threatened and commercially valuable species.
Worldwide, around 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear is lost or discarded each year. These ‘ghostnets' can continue fishing for decades, entangling huge numbers of marine animals, including threatened and commercially valuable species.
Major
problem
Ghostnets, originating mainly from fisheries in Asia and Australia, are a particular problem in Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria, where they can reach densities of up to three tonnes/km, among the highest recorded worldwide.
Ghostnets, originating mainly from fisheries in Asia and Australia, are a particular problem in Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria, where they can reach densities of up to three tonnes/km, among the highest recorded worldwide.
Impacting
marine turtles
"Our research goes beyond discovering where ghostnet fishing is taking place, to actually estimating its impact on biodiversity, in particular on threatened marine turtles," Dr Denise Hardesty of CSIRO said.
"Our research goes beyond discovering where ghostnet fishing is taking place, to actually estimating its impact on biodiversity, in particular on threatened marine turtles," Dr Denise Hardesty of CSIRO said.
"Using
a model of ocean currents and data collected by Indigenous rangers on the
number of ghostnets found during beach cleanups, we simulated the likely paths
ghostnets take to get to their landing spots on beaches in the Gulf of
Carpentaria," Dr Hardesty said.
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