For the first time, researchers have investigated how ropes and fishing lines are handled by the Norwegian commercial fishing industry.
For the first time, researchers have investigated how ropes and fishing lines are handled by the Norwegian commercial fishing industry. The fishing fleet loses almost 400 tonnes of rope in Norwegian waters every year.
Lost fishing lines and ropes are a growing problem. As a leading fishing nation, Norway, with its long coastline and fish-rich waters, is particularly vulnerable to marine litter. A new study from NTNU shows that only a third of all ropes produced and sold in Norway can be recycled in a sustainable way.
The rest are burned, buried, sent out of the country – or just pile up and contribute to something called ghost fishing.
Read more at Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Image: Every fishing boat, whether knowingly or unknowingly, reportedly loses fishing gear. As a result, 2700 tonnes of discarded rope end up at reception facilities in Norwegian ports every year. Measures are now being taken to stop pollution and make better use of this waste (Photo credit: Paritosh Deshpande)
