COBSEA has developed an interactive toolbox that addresses abandoned, lost, and otherwise discarded fishing gear (also known as ‘ghost gear’) in the region. The aim of the toolbox is to provide tools and guidance on environmentally sound and inclusive ghost gear prevention, mitigation, and management for the East Asian Seas region and share good practices for replication.
The toolbox also compiles existing resources developed by partners. Products include downloadable infographics, reports, and videos in languages from the COBSEA region. More tools, case studies, and resources will be added to expand the toolbox over time.
The toolbox is developed by the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) with contributions from partners across the region. All tools and resources are available through the East Asian Seas Regional Node of the GPML.
The toolbox includes two original good practice case studies: Net Free Seas in Thailand, and SeaNet in Indonesia, a checklist for ghost gear removal, and videos for removal, sorting, and management of ghost gear in English and languages of the COBSEA region.
Resources were developed with partners, including Reef Check Malaysia, the Environmental Justice Foundation, Reef-World Foundation, and TierraMar, with funding from the Government of Canada Ghost Gear Fund.
