For years we have been hearing about piles of abandoned recreational fishing gear accumulating in popular fishing spots in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, so in 2024, we are launching The Great Aussie Crab Pot Review! We are on our way north to clean up some of it up, but more importantly, we are interested in turning off the tap.
To do this, we need to to better understand the issue, allowing us to have informed discussions with both rec fishers and industry. By filling out this survey, you are helping us to find a solution so that we can reduce the accumulation of ghost gear and stop it at the source.
As a part of this project, we are also on our way up North to deliver two clean up events involving OzFish members and local volunteers. These community clean-ups are happening mid-year in Kurumba QLD and Borroloola NT, targeting marine debris. Once collected, the items will be sorted, with any netting contributing to OzFish’s Tackle Loop recycling program. Click here to find out more about this Member’s Exclusive trip.
Ghost gear refers to any recreational fishing gear that has been abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded, much of which often goes unseen.
When some of this fishing gear is left in the water when not being used, it can become lost and may continue to ‘ghost fish’, trapping other fish and wildlife.
Ghost gear The Australian Marine Conservation Society lists ghost gear and abandoned fishing lines and nets as among the most lethal type of marine debris. They cause injury or death to the many marine species that become entangled in them. It also damages critical marine habitats such as coral reefs.
Additionally, the materials that make up these ghost nets slowly deteriorate to eventually form microplastics, which can damage natural food webs and ecosystems. Plastic pollution is an issue of significant concern, both in Australia and globally, due to the ubiquity of plastics and microplastics in the environment.
The coastline of northern Australia has one of the highest global densities of ghost net pollution, causing issues for many of the remote communities.
The Gulf of Carpentaria is recognised as a global marine debris ‘hot spot’, with tonnes of ghost fishing gear drifting into the Gulf each year.
The proper use of fishing gear is ultimately the responsibility of fishers.
Click here for more information and Recreational fishing rules from the Queensland Government. The NSW Department of Primary Industries have also put together a resource on responsible crab fishing that can be found here.
Fishers who spot unmarked, lost or abandoned crab pots are urged to record an accurate location or GPS coordinates and report it to the Fishwatch hotline.
Call the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116 or submit a report online.
Entangled, stranded, injured or deceased marine animals can be reported to Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
Ghost fishing refers to lost & abandoned fishing gear that is no longer controlled by a fisher, but still captures fish.
To help address the challenges of the ghost net and marine debris problem in northern Australia 10 new projects commenced in 2023 under the Ghost Nets Innovative Solutions Grant Program, through the Australian Government. Find out more here.
The Innovative Solutions Grants Program is part of the broader $14.8 million Ghost Nets Initiative.
The grants program is designed to fund interested and capable organisations and community groups to undertake projects to better detect, collect or dispose of ghost nets and other harmful forms of marine debris in northern Australian waters, and to raise public awareness of the issue.
LOST, abandoned or discarded crab pots, also known as ghost gear, pose a major threat to the health of marine ecosystems. Critical species, such as crocodiles and sharks, as well as turtles and birds, inadvertently get caught in the pots and drown – yet all these species play a pivotal role in maintaining the resilience of our ecosystems and fish productivity.
Fisheries in northern Australia are experiencing the negative impact of abandoned, lost, and discarded recreational fishing gear. In collaboration with OceanEarth Foundation, through its Ghostnets Australia program, OzFish has launched the Great Aussie Crab Pot Review. Crab pots used incorrectly or left in the water when not being used are becoming a serious threat to the marine environment. These pots, often referred to as ‘ghost gear’ or ‘ghost traps,’ can keep catching recreationally and commercially valuable fish and crustaceans long after they have been forgotten or lost.
