Most marine litter monitoring surveys are based on an item count, but this can lead to underestimating larger litter, according to a new study published in the journal Regional Studies in Marine Science by National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Tainan City. To address how much derelict fishing gear (DFG) is in the ocean, the team comprised of scientists under the umbrella of Global Research Group Asia SDGs conducted a volume-based survey of 1 per cent of Taiwan’s 1,680-kilometre coastline in four monitoring periods in 2020.
At an average concentration of 877 dm3/100 m, “Taiwan showed an extremely high level of DFG pollution”, found the study, which worked with both government agencies and private companies to gather quantitative data on current fishing gear stocks and flows. It estimated that 2,722 tons of fishing equipment were lost or dumped in the ocean annually. Of the fishing gear waste, 1,172 tons required maintenance, 1,062 tons were stored in the harbour and 3,529 tons had reached the end-of-life stage. The most prevalent type of waste was hard plastic buoys from China and Taiwan, according to the study.
Postdoctoral research fellow Dr Falk Schneider, who led the study, said in an article for the online platform Circular that he hoped the research would assist Taiwanese policymakers in developing appropriate marine litter prevention policies. He recommended several steps to develop a more sustainable fishing industry, saying: “The Taiwanese government must collect data in a systematic manner to monitor and manage the fishing gear waste streams.” He also suggested a meeting between stakeholders from the fishery sector, government agencies and non-governmental organisations to “facilitate knowledge sharing toward more sustainable fisheries.”
