LCDR Eric Johnson / NOAA
LCDR Eric Johnson / NOAA

Fishing Practice & Gear Inventory



The overall goal of the project is to increase understanding and develop reliable informational resources of fishing activity in the Arctic and near-Arctic, in order to inform gear identification as part of monitoring or removal. This additional knowledge could help inform ALDFG prevention and intervention efforts by understanding differences in gear composition over space, and eventually over time.


  1. Collect information on current practices gathered from Arctic States and non-Arctic States fishing in the area, which may help identify which gear could contribute to marine litter in the Arctic
  2. Categorize and classify available records of ALDFG that have been recovered to understand potential sources, pathways, and fates of ALDFG and associated equipment, especially as fishing effort shifts farther north to follow biomass
  3. Design a visualization tool and structure to present data in a common format. A visualization structure would incorporate intuitive representation of fishing areas by country, target species, fishing gear by type, as well as any additional parameters identified. This could take the form of static maps or dynamic online tools, depending on assessed utility and resource availability
  4. Conduct outreach and communication on the data and lessons learned by providing information to partners on the availability and location(s) of data in order to inform and target ALDFG prevention and intervention efforts
Lead Рабочие группы
Lead Арктические государства & Постоянные участники
Соединённые Штаты Америки
Арктические государства