Dr. Hamzaei stated: The wandering ghosts of murderers hidden in the depths of the Persian Gulf

Dr Hamzaei, head of the Hormozgan Oceanographic Center, stated in a note in Sobh Sahel newspaper: 

The wandering ghosts of killers hidden in the depths of the Persian Gulf

In the heart of the warm and semi-closed waters of the Persian Gulf, a silent threat is spreading; A threat that takes the lives of thousands of sea creatures, not with the sound of ship engines, but with the deathly silence of unattended nets. ghost hunting ( Ghost Fishing), is a term to describe abandoned or lost fishing gear that continues to catch, without anyone controlling it or even being aware of its existence. These tools include a wide range of fishing gear: seine nets suspended in the middle layers of water, continuous hooks (longline) that leave hundreds of hooks in the water along a long line, metal or wire gillnets that are embedded in the seabed, beach nets that are set in shallow areas, and even nets that are seized during marine inspections due to illegal fishing but left in the sea instead of being collected. 

Many of these tools remain in the sea unintentionally; Sometimes due to storms, sometimes due to collisions with other ships or trawl nets, and sometimes due to getting stuck in rocky beds and coral reefs, which destroys the possibility of their recovery. But regardless of the cause, the result is the same: continued overfishing, the gradual death of marine species, and the destruction of sensitive ecosystems. Estimates show that every year between 50 a thousand 100 A thousand tons of aquatic species are lost in ghost tours in the Persian Gulf; an equivalent figure 10 until 20 The percentage of the total annual catch in this water area. This shocking statistic shows the dimensions of the silent disaster under the water surface, which not only threatens food sources, but also endangers the ecological balance of the region. The more worrying thing is that these abandoned tools, by catching small and bait-like fish, provide the basis for the attraction and hunting of larger fish. This feeding cycle continues automatically; The small fish falls into the trap, the bigger fish approaches to catch it and is also caught. This process can continue for decades until the fishing gear is completely decomposed or destroyed. 

In a field study in the waters of Bushehr province, dozens of abandoned gregors were examined, which still hosted live fish. Species such as grouper, rockfish and even crustaceans such as crabs were caught in these traps. These tools not only continue to catch commercial species, but also kill non-target organisms; From turtles that need the water's surface to breathe and suffocate in nets, to dolphins and whales that get trapped out of curiosity and end up with deep wounds and infections. 

Basking sharks, seabirds, and even human divers have, in rare cases, fallen victim to these stray animals. These tools get eroded over time and their plastics turn into microplastics and enter the food chain of aquatic animals and eventually humans; A serious threat to public health. Globally, annually more than 640 Thousands of tons of fishing equipment are left in the seas. In areas like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the bulk of the trash is made up of fishing nets. These tools remain in the water for decades and continue to catch continuously, without anyone exploiting them. In the Persian Gulf, which is one of the world's richest yet most fragile marine ecosystems, ghost fishing has had devastating effects, particularly on coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. These areas, which are spawning and sheltering places for many marine species, are gradually destroyed by the presence of abandoned nets. At the global level, various programs have been implemented to deal with this problem. The United Nations Clean Ocean Initiative cleans up critical points. The "ghost nets" project in America collects tens of tons of abandoned nets every year.

 The European Union has also passed laws for the use of biodegradable materials in fishing equipment. At the regional level, various countries, including Türkiye, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, have taken effective measures to deal with this problem. Using advanced technologies such as underwater robots, Türkiye collects abandoned nets. Oman has implemented extensive clean-up programs in its marine protected areas. The UAE has also implemented plans to recover abandoned tours with the participation of non-governmental organizations.

These regional efforts can be a valuable model for other Persian Gulf countries. Iran, as one of the active countries in the fishing industry, faces serious challenges in the field of fishing tools management. Lack of tracking systems, poor training of fishermen, and lack of strict regulations for collecting abandoned gear have fueled the crisis. To deal with ghost fishing, solutions such as using biodegradable tools, installing self-opening mechanisms in gregors, registering and tracking fishing tools with GPS, and education of fishing communities is essential. Also, regional cooperation among Persian Gulf countries to monitor and clean up abandoned tools can be an effective step in preserving this valuable ecosystem..