STRATONI, GREECE

Divers swim next to a ‘ghost net’ – a fishing net that has been left or lost in the ocean – off the coast of the Greek village of Stratoni. As part of a three-day Healthy Seas initiative, Greek and Dutch divers removed about two tons of these discarded nets from the seabed, where they posed a risk to marine life.

An estimated 10 per cent of all marine litter in the world’s oceans and seas, or some 640,000 tons, is made up of lost or abandoned fishing gear, according to a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN Environment Programme. As the nets are made of non-biodegradable plastic (often nylon), if left untouched, they can remain underwater for hundreds of years. And as they are so difficult to see against the surrounding environment, they can entangle countless marine species.

To remove a net from the bottom of the sea, divers attach lifting bags that are then inflated with air from the divers’ tanks. When the bags float to the surface they dislodge the net and bring it with them, where it can be lifted out of the water.

The cleaning operation also featured an educational programme as part of the event, which brought children and their parents from the local community down to the harbour to meet the divers. There they could see for themselves just how huge ghost nets can be, and what a problem they can cause in the seas.

The recovered fishing nets will now be recycled. Together with other nylon waste, they will be regenerated into yarn that will be used to create products such as socks, swimwear and carpets.