About Ghost Fishing
Are you familiar with Ghost Fishing UK? It's an incredible organization established in 2015, comprising over 70 passionate volunteer scuba divers and supporters. They're on a mission to remove "Ghost Gear" - abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear - from the marine environment to protect marine life and scuba divers alike. And here's some exciting news - on June 6th, 2024, we'll have the pleasure of hosting Jack Willans at Mike's Dive Store. Jack is an inspiring marine biologist and speaker who will share more about this amazing project and how we can all play a part in making a difference. Take advantage of this chance to learn more about Ghost Fishing UK and their important work!
The Problem with Ghost Nets
The issue of ghost fishing gear has become a serious concern over the last few years. When fishermen use nets, pots, and lines to catch fish, it's normal for some of those tools to become lost in the ocean. Unfortunately, this lost gear can continue to catch fish and other marine life, even when nobody is using it. This can have a really bad impact on the environment, but we don't know exactly the scale because we haven't studied it enough. What we do know is that it's not good for animals to get caught in this "ghost gear" because it can trap and kill them. And the problem doesn't stop there, because when smaller animals get caught, they can attract bigger animals which also get caught, and the cycle continues. So it's important to try and remove as much ghost gear as possible from the ocean to protect our marine life.
An amazing bunch of dedicated volunteers
Ghost Fishing UK was set up around 2015 by dedicated divers to try to remove this lost equipment from the marine environment. It is a challenging and difficult task. Ghost gear is typically entangled in reefs and wrecks, and its removal can be complicated.
Ghost Fishing divers survey the site first and collect data on the ghost gear and any animals trapped, alive and dead. Data is collected via our ghost gear reporting system and the mandatory activity form, which all projects must complete. This data is critical to provide evidence of the ghost gear problem and adds weight to the mission to reduce it.
The removal technique involves divers attaching bags to the gear, which the diver fills with air, making them float. The divers then cut the gear free as close to the seabed as possible. Great care is needed to ensure that the diver does not become entangled with the equipment. This involves a high degree of teamwork, coordination and discipline.
