Fishing debris crosses the Atlantic to reach Faial and Pico

Research by the Okeanos Institute at the University of the Azores has identified fishing-related plastic debris on Faial and Pico that appears to have travelled thousands of kilometres across the North Atlantic. The study recorded 1,577 items collected along the coasts of the two islands.

Most of the material examined was linked to lobster fishing, including trap components, escape devices and fishing-gear identification tags. Marks and codes found on some objects enabled the researchers to trace their geographical origin with an unusual level of detail for marine-litter research.

Of the tags for which an origin was established, 63% were linked to the United States; 76% of those were from Maine. The remainder were associated with Canada. Tags dated from 1983 to 2023 were also found, indicating that some of this material can remain in the ocean for decades.

The debris analysed for the research was collected by former nature wardens from the Faial Natural Park and through an Okeanos-led citizen-science campaign involving communities on Faial and Pico. The findings underline how island regions receive pollution generated beyond their jurisdiction and point to the need for international cooperation, stronger fishing-gear identification and measures to prevent plastic loss at sea.