Indonesia is seeing the emergence of ghost gear, which can be a potentially serious crisis if not handled effectively. Ghost gears refer to fishing nets, lines, traps and other gears that have been lost or abandoned by fishermen and fisheries. Ghost nets, a major risk to marine life, often nearly invisible in the dim light, left tangled on a rocky reef or drifting in the open sea, continue to trap everything in their path. Globally, it is estimated that around 48,000 tons of ghost nets are generated each year.
Indonesia’s 2018 presidential regulation concerning the handling of marine debris is not enough to deter ghost gears. Muhammad Abdi Suhufan, coordinator of Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW) Indonesia, said the problem of ghost gear has not received much attention from the public and government. He added 9.1 percent of marine debris consists of ghost gear. If left unchecked, he said ghost gear will threaten not only marine life but the livelihood of fishermen and fisheries too.
Each year, ghost net is responsible for trapping and killing a significant number of marine animals, such as sharks, rays, sea turtles, dolphins, whales, crustaceans and sea birds. These species swim into nets, often unable to detect them by sight or sonar. The nets keep animals from moving freely, cause injuries, and keep mammals and birds from rising to the surface for air. They cause further destruction by smothering coral reefs, blocking the reefs from needed sunlight, devastating shorelines, and damaging boats.
Ghost nets are also a major contributor to the ocean plastics crisis. Most nets are made of nylon or other plastic compounds that can last for centuries. Those that do break down never go away because they just become smaller pieces of plastic. Marine animals mistake this microplastic for food and eat it, which can harm internal organs, keep them from eating, and expose them to toxic chemicals.
According to a study conducted by researchers Atrasina Adlina, Pini Wijayanti and Dinda Ratnasari, from the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), fishermen suffered financial loss because of ghost nets.
Adlina, also known as Adli, the research coordinator, said from mid-June 2021 to early 2022, they interviewed 41 fishermen from three regions, in Tegal, Muara Raja, Frog Island and Komodo Island, Central Java. Many fishermen said they operated in the waters of Java Sea with a maximum boat capacity of 10 gross tonnage (GT). 26 fished daily and 15 fished weekly.
The researchers found almost all fishermen said they had discarded or lost their nets before. Adli said ghost nets had damaged propeller and caused accidents before. Pini added that fishermen also suffered considerable financial loss from repair and loss of fishing time. For repair, fishermen spent IDR 72,200 to IDR 92,300 (US$4.60 to US$5.88), and if not fishing, they lost a potential income IDR 100,000 to IDR 323,400. In general, daily fishermen lost more than weekly fishermen.
Getting rid of ghost nets from the oceans will require commitment, cooperation, and innovation. Pini said it is important to prevent ghost nets from appearing, in other words, getting rid of ghost nets even before they get into the ocean. The Network Repair Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) at Tegalsari Coastal Fishery Port (PPP), Tegal City is a good example, said Pini. This program repairs fishing nets thereby extending their working lives.
However, this program only covers large ship of more than 10 GT. It is expected that in the future, the program will cover smaller vessels under 10 GT too because more fishermen will then think of bringing back their damaged nets rather than throwing them in the middle of the sea.
Taryono, oceanographer, University of Tegal, said Indonesian waters are under a lot of pressure, and there are millions of people who depend on it for a living, which inevitably leads to overexploitation and pollution. And getting rid of ghost nets is a first step in the right direction towards a sustainable ocean.
Top photo credit: Iqbal Ramdhani. A fisherman repairs net.
