{"id":172,"date":"2017-12-21T09:00:55","date_gmt":"2017-12-21T09:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/scotlands-environment\/?p=172"},"modified":"2022-01-26T11:30:00","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T11:30:00","slug":"signing-global-ghost-gear-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/rural-environment\/2017\/12\/21\/signing-global-ghost-gear-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"Signing up to Global Ghost Gear Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The Scottish Government has signed up to a global initiative aimed at reducing the amount of fishing gear lost in oceans and harming the marine environment.<\/p>\n

An estimated 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear is abandoned, lost or discarded around the world in oceans every year. Animals such as fish, whales, turtles and seabirds can become entangled in the \u2018ghost gear\u2019 and may either drown within minutes or suffer long, slow deaths lasting months or even years with debilitating wounds, infection and starvation. This \u2018ghost gear\u2019 is often made of long-lasting plastics and so can continue to harm the marine environment for generations.<\/p>\n

The Scottish Government has now signed up to the Global Ghost Gear Initiative<\/a> which works with the fishing industry, academics, Governments and non-government organisations to come up with solutions to address the worldwide problem which contributes to 10% of global marine litter.<\/p>\n

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recognise the importance of tackling marine litter which is why we included actions on marine industry waste in our Marine Litter Str<\/a>ategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last few years we have been working with KIMO<\/a> and the Scottish Fishermen\u2019s Federation<\/a> to coordinate the strategy\u2019s work and are proud of the efforts of our fishing fleet which, through KIMO\u2019s Fishing for Litter, has retrieved 1200 tonnes of litter from the seabed since 2005, including ghost gear.<\/p>\n

\u201cSigning up to this initiative demonstrates our support for global action to tackle the problem of ghost gear in order to prevent the needless entanglement of wildlife in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

We know boats fishing illegally often lose or dump nets and other equipment \u2013 and it\u2019s killing sea animals. Now it\u2019s time for the world\u2019s navies to become part of the solution! #Seachange<\/a> #Ghostgear<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/0vkfyuDv0A<\/a><\/p>\n

— World Animal Protection ANZ (@MoveTheWorldAU) December 14, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n