Ghost Fishing from Fishermen’s Perspective: A Case from Turkish Inland Fisheries

In recent years, the ecosystem, already challenged by various anthropogenic pressures, has encountered a new threat in the form of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). To date, very few scientific studies have been conducted on the ALDFG problem in inland waters, which has mostly been investigated in marine aquatic ecosystems. In the present study, conducted to help address this deficiency, data were collected on the level of awareness among fishermen at Eğirdir Lake, an important inland fishery center in Türkiye, regarding ALDFG and the ghost fishing potential of the fishing gear they use. The data required for the study were obtained through face-to-face surveys conducted with fishermen during the 2016 fishing season. Questionnaires were used to identify the type and quantity of lost fishing gear, assess fishermen's awareness of ghost fishing, examine the status of lost fishing gear, and determine the causes of these losses. It was determined that fishermen in Eğirdir Lake lose an estimated 275,304.96 meters of set net (gillnet – trammel net) annually. The loss rate of set nets was estimated to be 11.32%. It has been determined that incidents of losing fishing gear occur in a large part of the lake. A significant majority of fishermen lack knowledge about ghost fishing (82.7%) and do not consider ghost fishing a significant problem (92.0%). Comprehensive training programs for fishermen and detailed scientific studies are needed to clearly reveal the extent of this threat.