Have you heard of ALDFG?
Abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) or “ghost gear” is the most harmful form of marine plastic litter for marine animals and habitats. It poses a significant challenge to the sustainability of fisheries, adding to existing pressures such as overfishing, declining fish stocks, and the impacts of climate change.
Global concern is rising, and organizations like the UN, FAO, IMO, and UNEP are promoting solutions such as gear tracking loss reporting, and better port waste management.
SEAFDEC supports regional action, through regional policy support, research, capacity building and training, promotion of gear marking, retrieval demonstrations (e.g. ROV), and awareness to promote sustainable fisheries and reduce marine debris.
Why use ROVs?
The Role of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)
- Safe and efficient for deep of hard-to-reach areas
- Provide live video to locate ALDFG accurately
- Reduce diver risk and increase retrieval success
- Visual: Diagram or photo of an ROV in operation
Making ROVs Retrieval Smarter?
The retrieval of lost gear using an ROV would be more efficient if a reporting system for lost fishing gear and fishing gear marking were in place, and also if the ROV operator processed sufficient expertise and experience.
