Abandoned fishing gear is the deadliest form of plastic debris for marine life and has already driven vaquita porpoise and other marine mammals to the brink of extinction. The report mentions that ghost gear has negative economic impacts, posing dangers to livelihoods and navigation by boat. It calls for governments to formulate a new treaty to stop plastic pollution and join the Global Ghost Gear Initiative - a global alliance of fishing industry, private and corporate sector, non-governmental organisations, academia and governments focused on solving the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear worldwide. It further highlights how the current legal framework on marine plastic pollution and ghost gear is fragmented and ineffective, he added. "We must stop ghost gear from decimating marine life and drowning the ocean we all depend on once and for all."

Source: The Express Tribune October 21, 2020 03:45 UTC