WWF Japan Submits Request to Environment Minister Ishihara - Urging Nationwide Survey on "Ghost Gear," Marine Plastic Debris from Fishing Activities

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Japan (Minato-ku, Tokyo; Chairman: Takejiro Sueyoshi; hereinafter referred to as WWF Japan) submitted a "Request Regarding Survey on the Status and Reality of 'Ghost Gear,' the Most Dangerous Marine Debris" to Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara on June 8, 2026 (Monday). To address the marine plastic problem, the government was asked to conduct a nationwide survey to understand the status of "ghost gear," marine plastic debris originating from fishing activities.

*Request Document (PDF): https://www.wwf.or.jp/activities/data/20260609ocean00.pdf

(From right) Tetsushi Tomano and Minli Yap of WWF Japan, and WWF Japan Advisor Soichiro Asai, and Hiroshi Kaneko of the NPO Partnership Office, hand over the request to Environment Minister Ishihara.

WWF Japan has been conducting a "Ghost Gear Survey Team" dive survey since September 2023, scheduled to continue until September 2026. This survey, conducted in seven distinct sea areas off the coast of Japan, collaborates with local fishermen and divers to investigate the presence and adverse effects of ghost gear (Note). The results of this survey confirmed the existence of ghost gear remaining in the sea, and identified damage not only to the environment, such as the death or injury of marine life, coral damage, and the microplasticization of fishing gear, but also socio-economic impacts on fisheries and tourism. While these findings have been obtained, the scope and continuity of investigations by environmental NGOs have limitations. Therefore, WWF Japan believes that a government-led nationwide survey is essential to resolve the ghost gear problem.

WWF Japan's requests are as follows:

Request 1: To grasp the actual situation of ghost gear present in Japanese coastal waters. To this end, conduct a nationwide ghost gear survey in conjunction with the "Marine Debris Status Survey."

Request 2: To grasp the current status of thorough waste management for fishing gear, including ghost gear. To this end, conduct a status survey on the implementation of the "Guidelines for Waste Management of Fishing Gear" and the "Guidelines for Promoting Planned Disposal of Fishing Gear."

Request 3: To grasp the amount of fishing gear that flows into the ocean or is improperly disposed of. To this end, in cooperation with the Fisheries Agency, understand the lifecycle flow of fishing gear produced (and imported into Japan), distributed, used, and disposed of in Japan.

Request 4: Based on the above surveys, to consider measures for preventing the generation of ghost gear, mitigating its damage, and recovering it.

Following the submission of WWF Japan's request, Environment Minister Ishihara stated, "The importance of the issue and the challenges have been shared. This is not a problem that can be solved all at once, so we need to build up case by case. We will work with stakeholders to raise awareness of this issue and advance our efforts."

WWF Japan plans to release a report summarizing and analyzing the results of the three-year "Ghost Gear Survey Team" investigation around the summer of 2026. Further details will be announced once confirmed.

(Note) Summary of the "Ghost Gear Survey Team" - Dive Survey on Plastic Debris from Fishing Activities

https://www.wwf.or.jp/activities/basicinfo/6128.html

*The dive survey was completed in February 2026, and recovery operations are currently being coordinated in some areas.

(Photo on the right) Ghost gear confirmed in Goto City, Nagasaki Prefecture in August 2025
©WWF-Japan
https://www.wwf.or.jp/press/6038.html

■ Comments from WWF Japan Specialists

Tetsushi Tomano, Marine and Fisheries Group, Nature Conservation Bureau, WWF Japan

With the cooperation of local fishermen, divers, and municipalities, WWF Japan has completed dive surveys in seven locations nationwide as part of the "Ghost Gear Survey Team" since 2023, confirming environmental and socio-economic damage in each area.

Particularly on the East China Sea side, large ghost gear exceeding 100 meters in length, believed to be of foreign or non-local origin, was found drifting along several coastlines and left in place due to the difficulty of recovery. These posed a risk of washing ashore and re-drifting over time. While we worked with local stakeholders to recover them, it was a deeply felt experience that the ghost gear problem is difficult for fishermen and municipalities to solve alone.

The surveys conducted at the seven sites in this dive survey cannot represent Japan's coastal areas (including remote islands) with their diverse marine ecosystems. We hope that this investigation by WWF Japan will serve as an opportunity for the government to initiate a nationwide survey on the ghost gear issue, thereby accelerating domestic efforts to solve the marine plastic problem, including ghost gear.

■ About WWF

WWF is an environmental conservation organization operating in over 100 countries, founded in 1961. It works to restore the richness of biodiversity that is being lost and to prevent global warming, aiming for a future where humans and nature live in harmony. https://www.wwf.or.jp