Ghost gear is any fishing gear, nets, rope, fishing lines, hooks or traps that have become abandoned, lost or discarded in our oceans, seas and rivers. It continues fishing even though humans are no longer controlling it, which has severe and damaging consequences for marine species such as turtles, seals, fish and even whales. Because most modern fishing gear is made of plastics, which take 600 years to break down, it is one of the most harmful components of marine debris in our oceans. Once more, up to 70% of macroplastics in the ocean are fishing-related! Plastic is the leading marine pollutant, making up a staggering 80% of all marine debris. It is found in every ocean and sea, across both surface waters and even deep-sea sediments! Modern fishing equipment is commonly made of nylon, polyethene and polypropylene because they are cheap and resilient to biodegradation in the marine environment; however, these qualities make them deadly when they become lost, discarded or abandoned and become ghost gear.