IMMP Calls for Marine Mammal Protection in UN Plastic Treaty

By Mark J. Palmer

Last year, negotiations for a new global treaty to address plastic pollution, sponsored by the United Nations, ended up on the rocks and lacked resolution over the specifics of the treaty. New negotiations are ongoing now (August 5-14, 2025) in Switzerland to try to resolve the differences.

The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute has been pushing for the treaty to address the problem of marine mammal entanglement in plastic fishing gear. We are pleased and supportive of language in the draft treaty that addresses discarded plastic, including fishing gear like plastic nets and fishing line, which can continue to harm marine life once discarded.

IMMP is urging delegates to address the issue of plastic fishing gear used while fishing, responsible for a large part of the estimated 300,000 marine mammal deaths from entanglement globally every year. Entanglements occur during fishing operations, as well as from encounters with discarded “ghost” gear. The treaty needs strengthening to adequately address production and use, not just as discards, of plastic nets, lines and other gear that entrap marine mammals and other marine species.

New provisions could include time- and/or area-closures for use of entangling fishing gear, restrictions in sizes of plastic gear (like nets), and possible bans on certain types of plastic fishing gear that are particularly problematic. Individual nations and the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) should take steps to reduce use of plastic fishing gear that continues to imperil nontarget species. The UN treaty should include such encouragement language to those entities.

Drift gill nets on the high seas were banned by the United Nations in 1989. But smaller gill nets in coastal waters have proven particularly dangerous to marine mammals, sharks, sea turtles, and other marine life. Some governments (such as the State of California) have completely banned drift gill nets for use in fishing. In our view, the UN should phase out or ban such nets.

Any fishing restrictions limiting the use of plastic fishing gear should also provide either compensation, alternative gear types, or alternative employment for fishermen, to lessen economic hardships for a sector that is largely composed of individual fishermen in a trade that is economically challenging.

IMMP strongly supports the proposals from our colleagues with the Plastic Pollution Coalition for improvements in the draft treaty. We are especially concerned that the treaty address the entire plastic production process from start to finish. Production of plastics needs to be reduced and alternatives developed that do not cause so much harm on land and in the sea.

IMMP is hopeful that the new negotiations might make some progress, and that the delegates resist backing down to the plastics industry (which has many lobbyists attending the negotiations) on these issues.

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