World Ocean Day: What are ghost nets? How they affect marine life in Andhra

Ongole: Every morning, fishermen go to the sea for the catch, but not many know that the fishing nets they use are sometimes 'Ghosts' for marine life.

On this World Ocean Day, NewsMeter explains how `ghost nets’, also known as abandoned/discarded/lost fishing gear (ADLFG) are affecting marine life in coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Animal Warriors Conservation Society (AWCS), known for its work, is on a mission to educate fishermen about ghost nets to save marine life.

Located in Hyderabad, as a part of conserving marine life, they have selected Pallepalem village in Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, and started educating fishermen in 2020.

Initially coming to this village to preserve olive ridley turtles, the team realized that ghost nets were posing an even bigger problem.

What are ghost nets?

Ghost nets are also a major contributor to the ocean plastics crisis. Most modern nets are made of nylon or other plastic compounds that can last for centuries. Those abandoned fishing lines and nets that do break down never go away; they just become smaller pieces of plastic. Marine animals mistake this microplastic for food and eat it, which can harm internal organs, keep them from eating, and expose them to toxic chemicals.

"Fishermen go fishing, and they cannot identify the topography of rocky structures (cliffs) under the sea. Once they find a good number of fish, and release the nets, sometimes the fishing nets get caught on the cliffs. Unable to retrieve it, fishermen have no choice except to abandon the net by chopping some parts," said General Secretary, AWCS, Sanjeev Varma.

During their survey in Pallepalem coastal area, the team of AWCS identified two major rocky cliffs that were snagging repeatedly. As per the fisherman community from the last 7 years, it is estimated that around 200 tons of fishing gear ended up in the sea by snagging.

"We have collected 183 kg of ghost net from the seashore in Pallepalam village. This is a similar situation in the entire coastal area where fishing is being carried out. It is estimated that about 200 tonnes of fishing nets are abandoned in coastal AP," said Sanjeev.

How is it affecting the marine life?

Turtles, dolphins, coral, porpoises, sharks, and fishes swim into stuck nets, often unable to detect them by sight or sonar. The nets keep animals from moving freely and cause injuries. "Ghost nets harm coral reefs, breaking corals, exposing them to disease, and even blocking the reefs from needed sunlight. It takes 600 years for the ghost nets to dissolve and then also it turns into microplastics. These are consumed by the fish," said Sanjeev.

There are incidents when fishermen rescued olive ridley, hawksbill, porpoise, and whale sharks for the ghost nets.

According to a report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), around 500,000 to 1 million tons of fishing gear are entering the ocean every year. These ghost nets are killing millions of fish and marine creatures worldwide.

How can it be controlled?

Many countries have been looking for sustainable fishing nets but there were no good results.

A study by WWF says tools like sonar reflectors can make ghost nets easier to find and work with small-scale fisheries to develop more sustainable fishing gear and practices. By attacking this problem from all sides, together with conservation partners, fishers, and supporters, ghost nets can be controlled.

"To stop these nets from becoming a threat to the marine species, we will be surveying to map the cliffs (width and depth). These location tags can help fishermen to avoid those directions while fishing," said Sanjeev.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT) scientists are working on producing biodegradable fishing nets that are durable.

Educating the fishermen

AWCS is now educating the local fishermen, to identify target areas and remove as many nets as possible. "With community engagement through awareness sessions, we are involving the fisherman community to protect our wildlife by explaining the importance of their role in the marine ecosystem. In the last three months, these fishermen rescued 3 whale sharks, and 7 Olive Ridley turtles that are caught on fishing nets while fishing," said Sanjeev.

The fishermen and the local children are educated to take up clean-up drives to remove ghost nets stuck in the sea.

Decrease in fish stock

According to the AWCS, for the last three years, fish stocks have been declining rapidly in Andhra Pradesh. As per the fisherman community, there are more than 12 species of fish that are not seen in recent years.

Adding to this endangered species like Blue Whales, Whale Sharks, Sharks, Electric Rays, and Rays are declining every year.

Huge loss for fishermen

On the other side, this is a huge loss to fishermen as the net itself is a huge investment for them. With the loss of net and fish catch, fishermen often go back empty-handed. On average each fishing group loses around 7-12 lakh worth of net abandoned in the sea every year.

If the fishing gear is lost by snagging in the sea, they have to spend 1-5 days (depending on the quantity of gear loss) to repair the damaged net. During this time, they are unable to go fishing because they have to buy a new net or repair the damaged net.

"We have made a module shuttle net from the discarded fishing gear to generate extra income source for the fisherman community," Sanjeev added.