DFO PhD Dissertation Proposal Defense: Drake Ssempijja

Abandoned, lost, and otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a problem that is increasingly of concern to global fisheries resources and the aquatic environment, with nearly 2% of all fishing gear used in marine fisheries lost to the ocean annually. This has negative impacts on the aquatic ecosystem, which includes but not limited to ghostfishing mortality to commercial, recreational, and protected species, degradation of sensitive benthic habitats, negative impact on recreational use of beaches and shorelines when drifting ashore and hazard to navigation when floating inside shipping lanes and coastal areas. Most of the research on the status, extent and solutions to the ALDFG challenge have been done in the marine fisheries of the developed world, with very few studies in inland fisheries. The objectives of this research are to improve the understanding of the status, extent and management of ALDFG by providing evidence-based ALDFG estimates, drivers and current management regimes to aid in developing mitigation strategies specific to inland fisheries. The proposed thesis will include: 1) an in-depth global account of the state of ALDFG in inland fisheries in the last 50 years through a systematic review and analysis; 2) estimates of gear loss, understanding of the drivers and analysis of available ALDFG management strategies for gillnet and longline fisheries in Lake Victoria, East Africa;  3) use of a gap analysis framework methodology to assess the robustness of existing policy environment and legislative arrangements concerning the management of ALDFG in Lake Victoria at the regional and riparian country level in order to identify gaps and provide recommendations for improved management; and 4) development of a comparative analysis of the transboundary management of ALDFG in Lake Victoria and the American Great Lakes to advance understanding of cross-jurisdictional ALDFG management in inland fisheries. The thesis will be a pioneering work on ALDFG and fishery-related plastic pollution in inland waters.

Meeting ID: 991 9210 0393

Passcode: 838266