Name : Adinda Rafilah (01)

Class : XI-MIPA 6

FISHING NETS

Fishing nets is a large-scale fishing gear in the ocean. This plastic waste is also one of the largest
contributors to the world's oceans. The majority of people somewhat underestimating the problem
of fishing nets being wasted or being thrown away into the ocean. Even though this plastic waste
will have a very bad impact on the life of ecosystem on the high seas around the world even in our
own country itself, Indonesia.

These fishing nets or gear will become plastic waste if it is abandoned when the fisher cannot
retrieve them, which happens when the fishnets are snagged on reefs, rocks, or other obstructions.
And these abandoned fishing nets are also called "ghost gear".

Most people think that the most plastic waste in the oceans is plastic straws, but this statement is
wrong. Although plastic straws certainly negatively affect sea life, according to Phys and the UN,
straws are responsible for just 0.025 percent of 100 percent of ocean plastic. Because the most
significant contributors to plastic waste in the ocean are fishing nets. In fact, the research team
found that of the total ocean plastic waste, 46% came from one source: fishing nets. So basically
fishing nets makeup half of the ocean's plastic pollution, it's equal to more than 640,000 tons of
nets, lines, and traps used in commercial fishing are dumped and abandoned in the sea every year,
same weight as 55,000 double-decker buses and some as large as football fields.

This fishing nets waste is ocean waste which is very serious issue dangerous for the oceanic
ecosystem and its surroundings. Fishing nets don’t only catch fish. They also entangle sea turtles,
dolphins, sharks, seals, crocodiles, crabs, and other creatures, even including the occasional human
diver. These animals swim into nets, often unable to detect them by their vision or sonar. The nets
keep animals from moving freely, cause injuries, and keep mammals from rising to the surface for
air. And fishing nets harm coral reefs too breaking corals, endangering them against disease, and
even blocking the reefs from needed sunlight. Even birds such as eagles, seagulls, seabirds, and
others can be entangled in this fishing gear.

We have many cases concerning this fishing nets waste. About 300 sea turtles were found dead as a
result of entanglement in fishing gear off the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico. And in October, a pregnant
whale was found entangled in fishing gear off the Orkney coast. And in Neuse River they have found
3 birds loon, several cormorants tangled and trapped in the nets fishermen have strung out in the
waters near the shore. Two of the birds could be rescued. For other birds, it was too late.

And, despite our best efforts to “refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle,” 91% of plastic waste never gets
recycled. Because most modern nets are made of nylon or other plastic compounds that can last for
centuries. And if this fishing gear traps or entangled ocean animals, then they will be entangled for
the rest of their lives. And according to data from the World Economic Forum in 2016, Agus said the
oceans are expected to contain a ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish in the sea by 2025, and by
2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean.

Those abandoned fishing lines and nets that do break down never go away. They just become
smaller pieces, eventually becoming microplastics of plastic so small the human eye can no longer
see. Oceanic animals like plankton make a mistake in this microplastic for food and eat it, which
can harm internal organs, keep them from eating, and expose them to toxic chemicals. And from
this, we can imaging when little creatures like planktons accidentally eating microplastics instead of
their food, and they are got eaten by other creatures that are bigger than them. So indirectly, this
microplastic chemical poison will spread to the other creatures that eat those planktons. And what
if the polluted creatures are unexpectedly served on our dinner table and we eat them?

Fishing nets is a large-scale fishing gear in the ocean. It will become plastic waste if it is abandoned
when the fisher cannot retrieve them. Fishing nets made about 46% of the total ocean plastic waste,
and it's equal to more than 640,000 tons fishing nets waste. This is very serious issue and
dangerous for the oceanic ecosystem and its surroundings. Fishing nets don’t only catch fish,
they’re trap other creatures even birds and corals too. Many cases harm marine animals regarding
this fishing gear/nets. Plastic waste never gets recycled. Because most nets are made of nylon or
other plastic compounds that can last for centuries. Even by 2050 there will be more plastic than
fish in the ocean. Those abandoned fishing lines and nets that do break down never go away. They
just become smaller pieces, and we call it microplastic that can expose them to toxic chemicals. and
starting from today we can at least reuse fishing nets and not just throw them in the open ocean.