Ghost hunting might sound like fun, but ghost gear hunting has a measurable impact on local ecosystems, as the Tampa Bay Times illustrated.
The outlet covered a cleanup effort at Fort De Soto Park near St. Petersburg, Florida. Volunteers set their sights on "ghost traps," or abandoned crab traps — and their impact can be as scary as the name suggests.
Ghost traps are part of the larger problem of ghost fishing gear. In 2020, the World Wildlife Fund provided unsettling details about the scope of the issue and how it is often lethal to wildlife.
Over 12 million tons of plastic debris enter the oceans every year, and abandoned fishing gear accounts for a full 10% of that pollution.
Fishing equipment tends to serve one specific purpose: catching sea creatures. When these tools — which are often made of plastic — are lost or left behind in marine environments, they don't stop working, NOAA warns.
Crabs, fish, and even whales have become entangled or trapped in discarded nets and crab traps. Stuck sea creatures can look like bait, the Times explained, luring more fish and crustaceans toward the same sad fate.
According to the paper, locals gathered for a specialized cleanup, traversing the waters of Tampa Bay to locate and remove ghost crab traps.
"Finding one took two minutes," the Times noted, alluding to the sheer volume of ghost crab traps haunting the waters of the park's five keys.
Several local groups attended the ghost trap hunt, including the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the Coastal Conservation Association Florida, and the habitat-focused Tampa Bay Watch.
"It's a reoccurring problem here, and we really have to stay on top of it," Peter Clark, founder and president of Tampa Bay Watch, said.
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Extremely 😫 His assertion makes sense, as objects intended to be left unattended are easily forgotten. Luckily, local boaters and fishers are familiar with the problem and the threat it poses to habitats and livelihoods.
"You've got to give back to what you're taking from. Without the water being clean, I don't have a business or a fishery to work with," Bobby McGuire, a professional angler who charters a fishing boat, commented.
At one point during the cleanup expedition, McGuire and fellow volunteer Joe Gross encountered a discarded plastic bottle floating on the bay's surface. It was the tip of a plastic iceberg, and the Times said what appeared to be "a few dozen feet of line turned into a 15-minute ordeal."
The paper likened the removal of the plastic debris to "a magician pulling on an endless handkerchief," adding that "thousands" of feet of fishing line were retrieved — debris that might have ensnared and killed many unsuspecting marine creatures.
"Making sure we're not harming innocent sea creatures is very important to me," Gross said.
Attending a beach cleanup or other habitat restoration event is a great approach to effect change locally.
Other ways to help include supporting climate-related causes and using less plastic in your day-to-day life.
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