?Ghost fishing? is the term given to the continued fishing by fishing gear that has been lost or abandoned. It is a phenomenon that has attracted attention over the past two decades given the sometimes graphic images of fish and other marine life entangled in lost nets, illustrating the potentially wasteful and destructive impacts of lost fishing gear. However, the real extent of the problem is not well known at the present time.This report is the output of a six-month research project funded by DG Fisheries and Maritime Affairs of the European Commission. It looks at the main gaps in knowledge about the extent of ghost fishing; to what extent ghost fishing is a serious issue in European Union waters; and the effectiveness of gear retrieval programmes and other management options in dealing with it.