Ghost nets: a silent killer

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During the last outing of the RAO Anzoátegui team, remains of abandoned fishing nets were found on the shores of the beaches. These plastics are silent killers because much marine fauna is trapped in them with no chance of survival.

During the last outing of the RAO Anzoátegui team, remains of abandoned fishing nets were found on the shores of the beaches. These plastics are silent killers because much marine fauna is trapped in them with no chance of survival.

Called all abandoned or lost fishing equipment, their sheer volume is a gigantic problem for marine life.

According to FAO, this equipment is harming the marine environment, impacting fish stocks, and posing a threat to ships. It estimates that abandoned, lost, or discarded equipment in the oceans constitute about 10% (640,000 tons) of marine debris. Merchant shipping is the main culprit in the open ocean, in coastal areas the predominant culprits are located on land.

Most fishing gear is not deliberately discarded but lost in storms or strong currents or as a result of "gear conflict", for example, fishing with nets in areas where there are bottom traps with which they can become entangled.

The major impacts of abandoned or lost fishing gear are:

-Continued capture of fish - known as "ghost fishing" - and other animals such as turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals, which are trapped and killed;

-Alterations to the seafloor environment; and

-The creation of navigational hazards that can cause accidents at sea and damage ships.

Some recommendations to address this problem would be:

financial incentives for found equipment to be brought to port.
adopt new technologies in which equipment is manufactured with some degradable components.
facilitate the collection, sorting, and final disposal of this equipment in ports.
GOOD NEWS

During the month of August, several calls were received from Mochima and Boca de Uchire reporting the birth of loggerhead sea turtles (Carettacaretta). Education activities were also carried out.

In Cumaná, the foundation was invited to participate as an environmental facilitator for a group of children belonging to Empresas Polar’s Vacation Plan. With the reading of a story about sea turtles and the dramatization of the environmental hero, the participants had the opportunity to learn more about this reptile that they have heard about and have even become worthy representatives of a coastal state such as Sucre.

In Anzoátegui, also invited by Fundacite’s Vacation Plan, the Foundation gave a talk on sea turtles and projected a short video that brought smiles to everyone’s faces with requests to repeat it.

Finally, the Basic Workshop on Sea Turtles was given to the innkeepers of Boca de Uchire, who are enthusiastically integrated into this Timely Warning Network.