OCE-B.09.A - ALDM Prevention and Reduction Policy
Does the company have a policy commitment to prevent and reduce ALDM?
About the data
The WBA Ocean Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to halt and reverse nature loss in marine ecosystems, tracking how companies manage their impacts on ocean biodiversity, marine habitats, and the communities and workers dependent on healthy seas. The 2026 edition is WBA's first Ocean Benchmark, assessing 125 companies across key sectors dependent on oceans, including seafood, maritime transport, offshore wind energy, shipbuilding, port operations, apparel, and chemicals. Companies are assessed on 47 indicators across four measurement areas: governance, ecosystems and biodiversity, social responsibility, and core social indicators. The benchmark builds on WBA's Nature Benchmark and the former Seafood Stewardship Index, and its methodology was developed with input from more than 50 stakeholders including ocean communities, companies, scientists and civil society, with human rights and social impacts kept at its core alongside nature-specific concerns. More information can be found here.
Methodology
Over the past decade, significant attention has been given to the issue of abandoned, lost
and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) – often referred to as ‘ghost gear’ – and its detrimental effects on
the marine environment, including ghost fishing, entanglement and habitat damage. This concern has
been heightened by the growing awareness of plastic pollution and its severe impact on marine
ecosystems, with ALDFG contributing significantly to the problem. The amount of ghost gear found in
oceans is estimated to be at least 640,000 tonnes annually (FAO, 2018; WWF, n.d.)
The term ALDM used in this indicator additionally includes material from other sectors, such as
aquaculture operations, marine transportation, or land-based material that can represent a substantial
portion of marine litter. With the ongoing global expansion of aquaculture, which now provides over
half of the world's seafood, there is a need to address the ALDM issue at the farm level. This indicator
also requires companies from other sectors to account for marine litter, defined by the United Nations
Environment Programme as ‘any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded,
disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment’ (UNEP-FI, 2021), and contributes to
SDG 14.1, which aims to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds.
Research Guidance:
For this element to be met, the company must demonstrate commitment to prevent and reduce Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded material.
Companies can be assessed against this indicator by explaining what they are doing to address this topic in their own operations and/or their supply chain.
This indicator was initially intended for ALDFG, but has been adapted to include other materials.
For example, materials such as:
Fishing material
Shipping containers
Any type of gear
Aquaculture material/debris
Other types of material that end up in the ocean.
Fishing: the company meets this element when it has formulated commitments around reducing ALDFG (often referred to as ghost gear) or when there is a policy on this topic, or debris related to activities.
Aquaculture: the company meets this element when it reports on this topic as well, by explaining what they do with their farming systems.
Companies that are members of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) meet this element.
Also, the 10 seafood companies that are members of SeaBOS, who are joining GGGI meet this element.
and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) – often referred to as ‘ghost gear’ – and its detrimental effects on
the marine environment, including ghost fishing, entanglement and habitat damage. This concern has
been heightened by the growing awareness of plastic pollution and its severe impact on marine
ecosystems, with ALDFG contributing significantly to the problem. The amount of ghost gear found in
oceans is estimated to be at least 640,000 tonnes annually (FAO, 2018; WWF, n.d.)
The term ALDM used in this indicator additionally includes material from other sectors, such as
aquaculture operations, marine transportation, or land-based material that can represent a substantial
portion of marine litter. With the ongoing global expansion of aquaculture, which now provides over
half of the world's seafood, there is a need to address the ALDM issue at the farm level. This indicator
also requires companies from other sectors to account for marine litter, defined by the United Nations
Environment Programme as ‘any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded,
disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment’ (UNEP-FI, 2021), and contributes to
SDG 14.1, which aims to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds.
Research Guidance:
For this element to be met, the company must demonstrate commitment to prevent and reduce Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded material.
Companies can be assessed against this indicator by explaining what they are doing to address this topic in their own operations and/or their supply chain.
This indicator was initially intended for ALDFG, but has been adapted to include other materials.
For example, materials such as:
Fishing material
Shipping containers
Any type of gear
Aquaculture material/debris
Other types of material that end up in the ocean.
Fishing: the company meets this element when it has formulated commitments around reducing ALDFG (often referred to as ghost gear) or when there is a policy on this topic, or debris related to activities.
Aquaculture: the company meets this element when it reports on this topic as well, by explaining what they do with their farming systems.
Companies that are members of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) meet this element.
Also, the 10 seafood companies that are members of SeaBOS, who are joining GGGI meet this element.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report