Ghost Fishing - Reports from Laucala Bay

Friday 14th September, 2018

‘Ghost fishing’ is what fishing gear does when it has been lost, dumped or abandoned. Nets, long lines, fish traps or any man made contraptions designed to catch fish or marine organisms are considered capable of ghost fishing when unattended, and results in no one profiting from the catch--they are affecting already depleted commercial fish stocks.

Captured fish die and in turn attract scavengers which will also get caught in that same net, thus creating a vicious circle, and without anyone profiting from the catches, they are affecting already depleted commercial fish stocks. (https://www.ghostfishing.org/the-problem/)

On our way out for data collection we noticed a tangled fishing net on the field. We then noticed organisms such as crab and fishes are trapped in it. We were able to save the crab and release them back out into the sea. We removed the net and disposed of it. Even though we were on the field for a different purpose, we felt it our duty to save and protect the marine organisms/ecosystems.

Jay Waqanivalu provided us with this report. He is a Member of the Alliance for Future Generations - Fiji and is currently a student at the University of the South Pacific.

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