Gear Marking

Gear marking is the labeling of fishing gear with identifiers that link it to its owner or vessel, the central tool for tracing abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) and reducing ghost fishing. The FAO Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear, endorsed at the 33rd Committee on Fisheries in July 2018, recommend systematic marking of static and drifting gear, FADs, and traps to aid recovery, identify illegal gear, and combat sea-based marine plastic litter. Several RFMOs and the EU require buoy and FAD marking, and the guidelines give special consideration to small-scale and developing-state fisheries.