Marine Life & Conservation
Ghost Fishing UK remove over 180 kilos of deadly lost fishing gear from Sussex seabed
Almost 200Kg of lost fishing gear known as ‘Ghost Gear’ has been recovered from the seabed by volunteer divers from the charity Ghost Fishing UK, in a collaborative project with Sussex Wildlife Trust.
The charity Ghost Fishing UK responded this week to reports from scuba divers in the Brighton area to locate and survey lost fishing nets on the shipwreck of the Pentyrch, before making a plan to remove it.
Lost or abandoned fishing gear is problematic in our oceans, with an estimated 640,000 tonnes lost into the sea globally each year.
The lost nets and pots known as ‘Ghost Gear’ continue fishing non-stop. The catch is never landed and the trapped animals act as bait for others, in a non-stop cycle of wasteful deaths known as ‘Ghost Fishing’.
The team brought the net back on board the diving vessel Channel Diver operating from Brighton Marina and the net will now be stored for recycling.
Despite covid-19 restrictions, the team underwent daily testing and diligent hygiene in order to carry out the mission.
This was the second mission the team of volunteers had undertaken in the Sussex region this year following plentiful reports by scuba divers of lost nets fouling the wrecks in the area, causing a hazard not just to them, but the wildlife along the Sussex coastline.
Working in 18 metres of water, the visibility was good and the divers have so far this season been able to recover 275 Kg of lost nets in just three dives.
Trustee and underwater photographer for the charity Christine Grosart said:
“The team were delighted to be asked to join up with Sussex Wildlife Trust’s ‘Wild Coast Sussex’ project. It was great to have them on the boat so that they could see what goes on at the sharp end of our charity, removing ghost gear from the sea and it was great to finally start cleaning up the Sussex region where we had not been before this spring.”
Wild Coast Sussex was set up to inspire local communities to care for the marine environment and enable them to protect their coast and sea.
As part of a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, working with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) and Brighton SEA LIFE, the project aims to:
- Inspire and connect people to the Sussex coast and sea
- Engage people in direct action to protect the Sussex coast and sea
- Enable learning and activities that encourage people to make positive lifestyle choices and behaviour change to reduce negative impacts on the Sussex Coast and sea
- Empower people to share experience and influence others to protect the Sussex coast and sea
Ghost Fishing UK were invited to get involved owing to their extensive experience training divers to survey and safely recover lost fishing gear, which is found via their online reporting system that is open to both fishermen and divers.
Nikki Hills, project manager for Wild Coast Sussex joined the team on board Channel Diver this week. She told us:
“It was fantastic to join the Ghost Fishing UK team on a trip to recover ghost nets off the Sussex Coast and see first-hand the dedicated work of the divers and the amount of net they managed to remove.
Removing this net is so important because if left, it can trap precious marine wildlife and add to plastic in the sea. The Wild Coast Sussex Project is really pleased to support the work of Ghost Fishing UK and it’s great to have them in Sussex.”
The SS Pentyrch was a cargo steam ship, torpedoed in 1918. Plenty of the wreckage can still be seen protruding from the sandy seabed. Unfortunately, these protrusions snag on fishing nets and can cause them to break away. They then continue to fish until they can be removed.
Miss Grosart said “We are very grateful for the reports from divers about these nets. We are also very keen to work with the fishing industry to get these unfortunate losses, which are not deliberate, back out of the sea. We would urge fishermen to tell us if they have lost any pots or nets so that we can see if it is possible for us to remove and then recycle them, or in some cases return them, keeping them out of the ocean forever.
We are soon launching a reporting system dedicated for fishermen so that they can report losses to us in confidence.”
Ghost Fishing UK also works with the key organisations involved in the project, such as Seasearch and the SeaLife Trust and are available to give talks to schools and interested parties about the work they are doing to raise awareness of the issues affecting our oceans.
You can see more about the work of Ghost Fishing UK on this BBC feature here:
For more information visit their website by clicking here.
All image credits: Ghost Fishing UK
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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