By: SAIL Zero Waste Subteam
The EPR/Zero Waste Subteam of SAIL has recently completed a report discussing ghost gear, a disaster to ocean ecosystems everywhere. Ghost gear is lost and abandoned fishing equipment, primarily nets, which drifts with the current and wrecks havoc in its wake. Loose nets entangle animals including endangered species of coral, sharks, and turtles as well as the critically at risk vaquita, while also costing people 1,000s of dollars in damage when removing them and preventing derelict fishing gear is a far cheaper option. The report discusses what ghost gear is, the harmful effects it brings to our ecosystems and economies, legislation across the globe including Massachusetts where Seaside is located, and possible solutions to the problem as well as organizations battling it.
The full report can be found at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nkv9ElvcdBN8mDfhSklDEfRPBGoXVXrvmUJteRa9VQI/edit
