Source Identification of Multinational Abandoned, Lost, or Discarded Fishing Gear from the Eel and Hagfish Trap Fisheries throughout the North Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear is a major and growing source of marine plastic pollution worldwide, with particularly severe impacts in the Hawaiian Archipelago, where debris transported by the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre accumulates at high densities. Among the most distinctive and harmful components of this debris are plastic tubular traps and trap entrances used in eel and hagfish fisheries across the North Pacific Ocean. We present the first basin-scale forensic assessment of derelict eel and hagfish trap gear across the North Pacific, combining analysis of 21,891 items collected from 2021–2024 with multinational field investigations and port visits to identify gear sources and inform mitigation strategies. The study documents both the geographic extent and long-term persistence of this gear in the marine environment. Distinctive gear characteristics and comparison of fishery sizes enabled inference of relative national contributions. Large mechanized offshore fleets operating in the East China Sea, particularly from South Korea and China, are major sources of derelict eel trap entrances, while smaller coastal fisheries from Japan, Taiwan, and the western USA contribute comparatively much less. This derelict gear poses significant ecological risks at many trophic levels through entanglement, ingestion, habitat damage, and ghost fishing, including affecting rare and critically endangered species. We introduce a hierarchical framework for tracing fishing gear from ocean-basin patterns to specific fisheries and pair it with a sequential mitigation hierarchy to guide fishery-specific interventions. Together, these findings advanvce both scientific understanding and practical management approaches for reducing fishery-derived plastic pollution at a multinational scale.