Hi, I am a 7th grader from Le Jardin Academy, researching about ghost fishing and the impact it has on Hawaii's native environment. This petition can help us clear the seas of fishing debris, and rid of nylon nets. If we can get enough signatures, we could get this to the attention of the Hawaii government and fishing companies. I will be contacting the Hawaii Government fishing department to have them change from using nylon nets to using biodegradable fishing nets. 

 

What is ghost fishing? Fishing nets that are nearly invisible? No… That's not it. Fishing for little pasty white clear fish? How cute! But the truth is much darker than that… Huh.. Maybe some type of seance..? No no. Not that dark! In fact it is much simpler.

Fishing debris, (derelict fishing gear, or ghost fishing) is old and discarded fishing gear that continues to trap, entangle, and kill fish, crustaceans, mammals etc. even after being cut. "We know the derelict fishing gear, including nets, causes big problems for our ocean, waterways, and Great Lakes, but it can be difficult to know how much is out there." Shanelle Naone, a researcher at NOAA. 

 

About over 2% of all fishing gear is lost annually. Fishing debris is more of a “Silent Killer” as it isn’t as talked about. Plastic, being more mainstream and talked about always overshadows fishing debris.

 

Many animals are affected by this abandoned debris. Hawaii’s native monk seals, our turtles (honu), albatross and seabirds, whale and dolphin species, corals, sharks, fish etc are all affected. They get trapped and entangled in nets and gear, and then get suffocated. 

Corals are affected in a different way. Nets smother the coral, and can introduce new diseases to the coral. The nets can also kill the crustaceans and smaller animals living in and on the coral. The nets also break off smaller pieces of the coral, ripping off and damaging the tissue.

​ Nylon nets are especially dangerous because they can take up to 600 years to decompose. They are made up of tiny fibers woven together. Because they take so long to decompose, they can continuously catch marine animals. These nets are huge, and can be as big as football fields! 

Recently, a sperm whale in Hawaii washed up dead, because it had seven types of fishing nets, lots of plastic, a fishing line, and a float from a fishing net in its stomach. The nets blocked its digestive tract and it died. There might have been more junk they couldn’t find. This was the first (reported) case of a sperm whale dying in Hawaii due to ingesting fishing debris, and the media went wild. 

This impacts Hawaii’s fishing economy, as these nets are super expensive and  fishing companies need to pay for all of the nets, as they have to pay for their own nets. However, a new project in Hawaii pays fisheries to bring back old or discarded fishing gear they may find. Fisheries are paid $1-$3 per pound of fishing gear brought back.

Many different organizations, such as the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project, Noaa,  Fish and Wildlife Service, and Hawaii Pacific University are all helping combat this issue. 

The Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project (PMDP for short) frequently goes to the Northern Hawaiian Islands, (Midway atoll) to clean up the nets from that area. NOAA also does frequent work around there and around the islands. They often clean up nets, debris, etc, and help entangled animals.

The Hawaiian government is strict about fishing laws, but fishing happens all over the world, and in international borders. Fishing debris can travel long distances, and often end up washed up on islands and atolls. 

How can we help combat this issue? "The good news is that since marine debris is a human-made problem, we are also part of the solution. While there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to marine debris, there are a variety of ways each of us can help” Shanelle Naone, Researcher at NOAA. 

Since this problem is such a big problem, it may be hard to come up with a solution.  Ghost fishing has been happening for far too long, and now it is hard to reverse the damage done. We can help by cleaning up nets we find or contacting people like NOAA to clean them up. If there are nets on coral, you can try and get it, but I recommend leaving it, maybe contacting NOAA. If you find an entangled animal, call NOAA or the wildlife department. 

Another way you can help is by not supporting the fishing industry. It may be hard as fish is a big part of most people's diets, but it is harming the environment. You can lower your fish consumption, cut fish out entirely or be careful about where you get your fish from. This is a huge problem but YOU can be part of the solution!