Technologies for the marking of fishing gear to identify gear components entangled on marine animals and to reduce abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear

Highlights: • Literature on marking technologies for fishing gear is reviewed. • Gear marking aid in identification of lost or entangled gear or its components. • Gear marking can be integrated into fishing capacity control. • Gear marking also prevent and deter ALDFG and IUU fishing. • Less expensive gear marking technology for relocating lost gear has yet to be developed. - Abstract: Fishing gears are marked to establish and inform origin, ownership and position. More recently, fishing gears are marked to aid in capacity control, reduce marine litter due to abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) and assist in its recovery, and to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Traditionally, physical marking, inscription, writing, color, shape, and tags have been used for ownership and capacity purposes. Buoys, lights, flags, and radar reflectors are used for marking of position. More recently, electronic devices have been installed on marker buoys to enable easier relocation of the gear by owner vessels. This paper reviews gear marking technologies with focus on coded wire tags, radio frequency identification tags, Automatic Identification Systems, advanced electronic buoys for pelagic longlines and fish aggregating devices, and re-location technology if the gear becomes lost.