1000 Flowers for the Planet - #310 Pull in Your Net
Our oceans are full of ghostnets, and this water
pollution is killing our marine life and endangering species, including sea
turtles. Ghostnets are created when fishermen either accidentally lose their
nets or purposefully leave their nets behind as waste. The nets can dangle for
metres below the surface of the water where they trap and kill marine life. The
nets are also hazardous to ships and boats if they become entangled in
propellers. Finding ghostnets and retrieving them from the water is a
time-consuming and expensive task, but one which must be done. Action must be
taken at the core of this problem, which lies with the fishermen who use nets –
they need to be educated on the perils created by losing or abandoning nets, as
well as provided with solutions for waste retrieval and subsequent disposal or
recycling. Not every net is left by large fishing enterprises, so if you’re an
individual fisherman who uses a net, remember to always pull it in –
completely.
In the north of Australia there are Aboriginal
artists who are using retrieved ghostnets to create woven art, giving this
deadly waste a new life cycle and purpose. There is a lot of information about
how Australia is dealing with the problem at www.ghostnets.com.au where you can also see this amazing art.
How does your country deal with ghostnets?
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