ghost fishing

noun

1. the continued trapping and killing of marine life by a discarded fishing net floating at sea

Example Sentences

The rest are burned, buried, sent out of the country -- or just pile up and contribute to something called ghost fishing.

From Science Daily

A 2001 study suggested that ghost fishing kills 4 million to 10 million blue crabs each year in Louisiana alone.

From Washington Post

Between Hawai'i and California, in a stretch of water known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, much of the metric tonnage of plastic is comprised of ghost fishing gear.

From Salon

"The best estimate I've seen is about 10% of fish stock is trapped and killed by ghost fishing gear," Lantinga says.

From Salon

Charity Ghost Fishing UK said the nets were a "huge issue".

From BBC