Fishing equipment is fundamentally tied to fishing practices, utilizing iron tools like hooks or synthetic materials like ropes and nets. These materials may not inherently harm the marine environment if used or disposed of properly. However, improper disposal occurs when gear is dumped directly into the sea, posing a major threat to marine habitats and aquatic organisms.
Ghost Fishing Phenomenon
This occurs when abandoned fishing gear is lost or dumped in seas and oceans, where it continues to trap marine life autonomously. Nets made of highly durable plastics continue entangling fish, turtles, dolphins, and seabirds for years without human intervention. This causes immense losses to fisheries. Trapped animals perish aimlessly, becoming bait that attracts other organisms into the same fatal trap. This results in up to a 30% depletion of commercial fish stocks in certain regions.
Reckless Use of Fishing Gear
The improper use of fishing equipment alters marine and oceanic geography. For example, bottom trawling drags heavy, massive nets across the seabed, scraping everything in their path. This causes complete mechanical destruction to coral reefs and benthic algae, eliminating many seafloor species.
Evidence shows numerous fishing vessels destroying benthic geography completely through bottom trawling, alongside non-compliant nets lacking Maritime Safety Authority environmental standards. These non-selective nets catch all organisms in their path, including juvenile fish measuring only a few centimeters. This leads to drastic decline in fish populations and species diversity.
Furthermore, unregulated fishing practices result in discarding inedible catch daily. A single fishing vessel can discard 1 to 2 tons of dead fish per day. This severely impacts marine ecology. Such practices have been documented over years in Mediterranean areas near Lake Bardawil and close to Port Said and Damietta ports. A steep decline in fish populations has been recorded across sampled waters, representing a real threat to fishery resources vital to national economies.
How to Reduce Marine Pollution Due to Fishing
Addressing marine pollution requires an integrated approach combining source prevention, sustainable waste management, maritime activity regulation, and continuous scientific monitoring. Effective remediation is not limited to beach cleanups post-accumulation; it begins with preventing waste entry into marine environments altogether.
Reducing plastic waste and microplastics
It is proposed to provide designated waste containers in fishing zones and ports, organize regular cleanup campaigns, and log waste types, counts, and weights. Laboratory studies identifying microplastics in water and sediment samples using standardized analytical methods should be supported to enable spatial and temporal comparisons
Improving vessel waste management
Adequate reception facilities for solid waste and used oils must be provided in ports, with documented intake records, regular ship maintenance, and clear contingency plans for oil spills. Implementing these measures helps reduce marine discharge risks alongside enforcing relevant maritime legislation.
Mitigating fishing gear damage
Impacts of lost or abandoned gear can be reduced by gear marking, recording loss coordinates, and establishing recovery and safe disposal systems. Developing selective fishing gear and minimizing bycatch is recommended while protecting sensitive marine habitats
Enhancing sustainable fisheries management
Curbing overfishing requires enforcing seasonal, spatial, and gear regulations alongside routine data collection on catch species, sizes, and volumes. Engagement among fishers, scientific institutions, and regulatory bodies improves compliance and intervention assessments
Establishing an environmental monitoring program
Establishing fixed coastal monitoring stations and conducting periodic surveys using standardized reporting forms is recommended to record waste types, quantities, locations, and weather conditions. Surveys can be complemented by laboratory analysis of water and sediment samples. Sampling, preservation, and analysis methodologies should be documented, distinguishing visual observations from lab results.
Bottom Line
Consequently, combining prevention, proper waste management, sustainable fishing practices, and recurring scientific monitoring forms a practical framework for a significant reduction in marine pollution. The effectiveness of these measures requires ongoing evaluation using measurable indicators to adapt solutions based on empirical field data
