Thai divers seek to take on 'ghost gear' threatening marine life

PHUKET — Beneath the surface of the turquoise waters off a beach on Thailand's holiday island of Phuket, divers laboriously collect abandoned fishing gear, much of it made from plastic, that is tangled on coral and trapping sea life.

This discarded or lost fishing equipment is known locally as "ghost gear" and is a growing problem in waters off Thailand and beyond, ensnaring marine life and adding to microplastics pollution as nets and ropes break down over time.

According to Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, estimates of the percentage of endangered marine life affected by plastic pollution in the upper Andaman Sea off Thailand have grown from 20 per cent in 2021 to at least 30 per cent as of 2023.

Scuba diving groups and marine organisations in Thailand have been working to remove the abandoned fishing gear from reefs through cleanup missions, but have a problem tracking its scale.

Experts say the lack of a coordinated strategy is hindering the pursuit of more comprehensive and effective solutions to track, manage or outlaw dumping of fishing equipment.

"We constantly collect discarded fishing gear. We have a strong scuba diving community. We have many government sectors working on this cleanup drive," said Salisa Traipipitsiriwat, senior campaigner and Southeast Asian plastic manager from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), which is partnering with other organisations to compile data.

The aim is to help marine scientists assess the impact of abandoned fishing gear in Thai waters.

"Even though there is collection of waste, there is no uniform data collection," Salisa added.

Off the Phuket shore, about 20 volunteer divers equipped with submersible gear, scissors, nets, and notebooks dive