A Value Chain Analysis of ghost nets in the Arafura Sea: Identifying trans-boundary stakeholders, intervention points and livelihood trade-offs J.R.A. Butler a, * , R. Gunn b , H.L. Berry c , G.A. Wagey d , B.D. Hardesty e , C. Wilcox f a CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia b GhostNets Australia, PO Box 155, Karumba, QLD 4891, Australia c Centre for Research and Action in Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, ACT, Australia d Arafura Timor Seas Ecosystem Action Program, Jakarta, Indonesia e CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, CES College Road, Sandy Bay, TAS 7005, Australia f CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia article info Article history: Received 13 October 2012 Received in revised form 3 March 2013 Accepted 5 March 2013 Available online Keywords: Adaptive co-management Indigenous rangers Life Cycle Assessment Marine debris Social networks Trans-boundary Diagnostic Assessment abstract Lost or discarded fishing nets are a significant component of marine debris which has trans-boundary impacts in large marine ecosystems. Such ‘ghost nets’ cause the by-catch of marine fauna and require retrieval from coastlines where they wash up. Identifying the causes of discarded nets and feasible intervention points requires analysis of a complex value chain and the stakeholders within it, yet no studies have attempted this. In this paper we combine Value Chain Analysis, commonly applied to un- derstand value-adding for a commodity, with elements of Life Cycle Assessment and social network analysis to examine the drivers, stakeholders, economic, environmental and social costs and benefits in the life of a trawl net. We use the Arafura Sea as a case study, which is shared by Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia, and is the focus of a Trans-boundary Diagnostic Assessment (TDA) within the ArafuraeTimor Seas Ecosystem Action program (ATSEA). We follow a trawl net through four sub- systems: manufacture of webbing in South Korea, fishing and loss by an Indonesian vessel, retrieval as ghost net on the northern Australian coastline by Indigenous rangers, and disposal or re-cycling as ‘GhostNet Art’ by Indigenous artists. Primary stakeholders along the value chain incur economic and social benefits, and economic and environmental costs. There is an anomaly in the chain between Indonesian fishermen and Indigenous rangers, artists and communities due to the lack of market link- ages between these primary stakeholders. The first ‘nexus of influence’ where reductions in net losses and environmental costs can be achieved is through interactions between GhostNets Australia, the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Australian Government, which can influence Indonesian fishery man- agement institutions and fishing crews. The second nexus is via the international art market which by publicising GhostNet Art can raise awareness amongst fish consumers about the impacts of ghost nets, and hence influence Indonesian fishing companies. GhostNets Australia is a key bridging organisation in the network, linking stakeholders across scales and sub-systems. Feasible preventative interventions are discussed to rectify the anomaly in the value chain. The importance of GhostNets Australia and ATSEA in the evolving adaptive co-management and trans-boundary governance of fisheries is highlighted. However, the prevention of ghost nets will result in trade-offs in benefits for the livelihoods of primary stakeholders. The utility of the method for analysing marine debris in TDAs, and ATSEA in particular, is discussed. Crown Copyright Ó 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Plastic marine debris, including abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear is of increasing global concern due to its environmental and economic impacts (Ryan and Maloney, 1993; Gregory, 2009; McIlgorm et al., 2008; Macfadyen et al., 2009; Ryan et al., 2009; Kaiser, 2010). In spite of international efforts to tackle * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ61 2 6776 1358; fax: þ61 2 6776 1333. E-mail addresses: James.Butler@csiro.au (J.R.A. Butler), riki.ghostnets@ northerngulf.com.au (R. Gunn), Helen.Berry@canberra.edu.au (H.L. Berry), gabrielw@unops.org (G.A. Wagey), denise.hardesty@csiro.au (B.D. Hardesty), chris.wilcox@csiro.au (C. Wilcox). Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Journal of Environmental Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jenvman 0301-4797/$ e see front matter Crown Copyright Ó 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.03.008 Journal of Environmental Management 123 (2013) 14e25