This paper (World Bank. 2024. Lost at Sea: Combating Abandoned, Lost, and Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG). © Washington, DC: World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/42460 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO) summarizes actions that can be taken to manage Abandoned, Lost, and Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) in the context of the three life-cycle stages of fishing gear: design and production, usage, and end-of-life (EOL).

While it is helpful to discuss the various ALDFG management actions in terms of these life-cycle stages, it is equally important to view the problem with a wider lens, recognizing that actions at each stage interact and therefore must complement each other for management strategies to be effective.

Governments can make significant progress reducing harmful effects of ALDFG by taking a holistic approach, recognizing that prevention, mitigation, and remediation at all life-cycle stages are required.