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Ghost Nets & Traps of the Sea

News > 2013

Ghost nets and traps are terrible demons lurking in the ocean, swallowing up marine life as they drift along in our currents or lye in wait on the ocean floor. They have no consciousness and no owners. They plage our oceans unchecked until someone reports their existence.

piles of nets and traps underwater

Ghost nets and traps go "ghost fishing." Ghost fishing can be defined as "the ability of fishing gear to continue fishing after all control of that gear is lost by the fisherman" (Smolowitz 1978a), i.e.. when gear is lost, a common occurrence in many fishing operations. NOAA published an interesting report on ghost fishing.

 

What are Ghost Nets & Traps?

Ghost net on Santa Lucia shipwreck off NaplesGhost nets are abandoned commercial fishing nets and recreational bait catching nets like beach seines or cast nets. Nets get entangled on marine structure or reefs, so they are cut free and left behind. Cast nets get tossed by recreational anglers and slip out of their hands, sinking into waters too deep to retrieve. Seine nets get left on the beach and washed away in the surf. And there are unethical fishermen that will dispose of their unwanted nets in the ocean.

Ghost lobster trapGhost traps are abandoned crab, lobster, or fish traps. These traps are lost when their buoy marker is dislodged from the trap and the owner can no longer locate it. Or traps are left by recreational anglers no longer interested in retrieving their traps or seasonal residents that neglect the removal of their traps. Sometimes traps are washed away by violent coastal storms. Then there are illegal traps set then abandoned by people who fear getting arrested after the fact.

On our popular fishing reefs, anglers leave a surprising amount of nets and anchors behind that have gotten tangled accidently on reefs. Luckily these same anglers volunteer to help clean these reefs annually to ensure good fishing in the future. If you haven't done so, volunteer the next time you hear of an event in your area.

This chart was created after the 1st Annual Southeast Florida Marine Debris Clean-up. Notice fishing debris is the largest contributor, this includes commercial and recreational fishing gear. Click the image to read the report.

chart showing marine debris by user group - fishermen contribute 30 percent of all marine debris

As you can see, marine debris is a big problem in Florida. Because our waters are used year round by both locals and tourists who are beach goers, boaters, anglers, divers, snorkelers and commercial fisherman, a lot of garbage can get left behind either intentionally or by accident. If you haven't seen it yet, visit our webpage Leave No Traces for more tips on how to keep our beaches and oceans pristine for future generations. The more garbage left behind, the less fish there are to catch!

 

Why are Ghost Nets & Traps Dangerous?

Fish Kills ? Property Damage ? Human Injuries ? Navigational Hazards ? Visual Pollution

Ghost net floatingGhost nets and traps are dangerous to both marine life and divers. They entangle fish and other marine life like sea turtles who, once entangled, will eventually die. The dead, entangled marine life will attract other marine life, who in turn get caught in the net and die. It is a vicious cycle that will continue until the net is removed.

Abandoned ghost traps will collect marine life (ghost fishing) that will eventually eventually die in the trap. The dead marine life will attract more marine life who will also get trapped and die. Again the cycle continues.

Derelict nets and traps do not descriminate, they also damage coral reefs and kill coral colonies. And we don't even want to think about a lone diver getting tangled in a ghost net and his or her air supply runs out before help arrives.

Derelict ghost traps and nets also cause hazards for boaters and can damage motors when boats hit a trap or get tangled in a net. Anglers get frustrated when their hooks get caught in nets and traps, which in turn creates more hazards as the hooks and attached fishing line get left behind. And anyone walking in the water that steps on a disintegrating wire trap can get seriously injured.

 

Who Removes Ghost Nets & Traps?

Piles of ghost nets on a boat
Photo credit: NOAA Marine Debris Program

First off, we want to encourage anyone who places a trap in the water or drops a cast net to retrieve it! If the water is not too deep, dive in and get your net or ask a nearby diver to get it for you. If you are no longer interested in maintaining your crab trap, take it out of the water. If you can't find your crab trap, please make every effort to search for it, it can't be too far away.

Don't rely on your government officials to clean up after you. It is impossible for them to clear out all the marine debris left behind by anglers or commercial fishermen. Do a web search on "marine debris noaa" and look at the pictures, they surely will encourage you to not litter our oceans.

Annually the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Sea Grant, Florida DEP, local counties and other organizations team up with volunteers to clear selected inshore reefs and coastlines of ghost nets and abandoned traps. Volunteers include individuals, divers and boat owners. Thousands of pounds of cast nets, anchors and debris can be removed from just one reef in one day! Events occur all over Florida in the summer months, some with door prizes. Check your local paper for an event near you this summer and help save our marine life.

huge ghost net on a truck that was removed from tenneco towers off miamiOn the Miami-Dade/Broward county line on March 5, 2013 a 1,000 pound
30' x 200' ghost commercial fishing net was removed from Tenneco Towers by a team of workers from FWC, Industrial Dive Corporation and volunteers. The cost to remove this huge net was a whopping $11,950! Located in state waters just 2 miles from shore this net was a dangerous hazard to divers, boaters, and marine life. This monofilament net extended from the top of the artificial reef down to the ocean floor. As you can see in the photo to the left, this net had been in the water a long time, the floats are disintegrating, the netting, being made of monofilament, could have lived for 600 years killing all creatures large and small in its wake. One sea turtle is known to have died after getting entangled in this large net; how many others died that we don't know about? Thank you for removing this hazard!
star iconGhost Net Removed from the Tenneco Towers

 

Annual Reef Cleanup Events

star icon3rd Annual Southeast Florida Reef Cleanup ? Summer 2013, contact SEAFAN for more information
star icon2nd Annual Southeast Florida Reef Cleanup Report
star icon1st Annual Southeast Florida Marine Debris Cleanup Report

star iconTreasure Coast Annual Waterway Cleanup - 6th Annual Event is July 27, 2013

star iconCollier Sea Grant's Annual Santa Lucia Cleanup

If you sponsor or know of an annual reef cleanup to list here, please contact us.

Beach Cleanups

Southeast Florida's Marine Debris Reporting and Removal Program has a listing of beach cleanup events. Join the fun and volunteer today!

 

How to Report a Ghost Net or Trap

If you come across an abandoned net and cannot safely remove it yourself, please report it to your local county marine patrol if it is vital to remove the net immediately. Ghost traps are a tricky subject because you could get arrested for tampering with someone elses property. Traps are best left to the authorities for removal.

Southeast Florida: Report marine debris on reefs to the DEP's Coral Reef Conservation program at 866-770-SEFL (7335) or online at the SEAFAN website.

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Law Enforcement
Information: 850-487-0554
Wildlife Alert Reward Program: 888-404-FWCC (3922)
Cell phone: *FWC

Thank you for your help!

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