Ghost Diving helps Healthy Seas and Hyundai in Extensive “Ghost Farms” Operation

Addressing Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter from Abandoned Fish Farms: A Comprehensive Mission of Clean-up, Education, and Community Engagement.

May 29th, 2024 – Western Greece – Healthy Seas, in collaboration with Hyundai, has successfully inaugurated an extensive clean-up operation targeting abandoned fish farms along the Western Greece coast. This initiative, which began with a ten-day intensive sea clean-up by Ghost Diving volunteers paralleled a land and coastal cleanup by other volunteers, marks the start of a year-long commitment to reclaim polluted and dangerous waters, promoting healthier marine environments for local communities and aquatic life.

Mission Overview:

Objective: The primary goal of this mission is to reclaim waters polluted and rendered dangerous by abandoned fish farms. This effort aims to restore these waters for marine life, coastal communities, and recreational activities.

Duration: The initial clean-up operation lasted ten days, involving extensive efforts from Ghost Diving volunteers and other partners. However, this is just the beginning of a year-long series of clean-up operations and awareness-raising activities planned for various locations in Greece.

Locations: Over the course of the first two weeks, two significant locations were tackled: one near Patras and another in Ithaca. In Ithaca, the aim was to clean the deeper part of the fish farm that we couldn’t address in previous missions. The Ghost Diving teams have now deployed CCR rebreathers to safely concentrate on the deeper areas between 30 – 60m and will continue their activities exclusively with this equipment.

Partners: This mission is a collaborative effort between the Healthy Seas foundation and Hyundai Motor Europe, supported by a diverse group of organizations and institutional partners.

Acknowledgements are extended to the volunteer divers of Ghost Diving

Associated partners are: Aquafil, Diopas, Ozon, the European Outdoor Education Hub, Odyssey Outdoor Activities, and DOTANK Plus, which worked as our impact strategy and project development advisor. We also appreciate the support from our institutional partners: the Municipality of Nafpaktia, Municipality of Xiromero, Municipality of Ithaca, the Decentralized Administration of Peloponnese, Western Greece and the Ionian, the Hellenic Public Real Estate Agency of Aetolia-Acarnania, and the Port Authority of Nafpaktos. This project operates under the auspices of the Region of Western Greece and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Greece.

Ecological and Social Impact:

Ecological Impact: The clean-up addressed the ecological damage caused by abandoned fish farms, which release debris, plastics, and pollutants into the marine environment. These pollutants disrupt marine ecosystems, endangering flora and fauna.

Social Impact: The operation also aimed to restore safe waters for local communities, who rely on clean seas for tourism and leisure. Healthy seas are a fundamental right, and this mission highlights the struggle of coastal communities affected by marine litter.

Educational and Community Involvement:

As part of raising awareness about this growing problem, Healthy Seas and Hyundai organized educational programs in collaboration with local universities and schools. These included events at the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and the Department of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Patras, as well as schools in Astakos and Nafpaktos. The European Outdoor Education Hub also participated, reclaiming the outdoors for children through marine litter education.

Community Engagement: These activities aimed to educate the next generation and the community about the importance of protecting our seas from plastic pollution focusing on the negative socio-environmental impact of abandoned fish farms. Also, one of the achievements of this project is that the final results were an outcome of a multi-stakeholder collaboration and coordination, involving local, national and international partners.

Future Plans:

Healthy Seas and Hyundai are committed to continuing this vital work throughout the year. This mission marks the beginning of a long-term effort to clean up abandoned fish farms in Greece and beyond. Future plans include more clean-up operations and initiatives to promote awareness and action. Our survey at the beginning, conducted in collaboration with OZON covered 440-450 nautical miles and identified 150 possible locations of scattered fish farming-related waste along the coastline. Through empirical evidence, this survey highlights the extensive nature of the problem, indicating that we are dealing with potentially many abandoned sites. This operation extends the scope of previous efforts, such as the single-location clean-ups in Ithaca in 2021 and 2022, by committing to multiple locations and longer-term engagement.

Litter Collection and Recycling:

The initial operation successfully removed 42.7 tons of marine litter, which has been sorted and will be recycled. This included a variety of materials posing threats to marine life. Notably, we collected large nets used in fish farming operations (11.3 tons of the total), predominantly found entangled on the seabed, endangering fish and marine animals. Additionally, we retrieved surface structures such as rings or cages made of pipes and polystyrene, designed to float. Alongside these, scattered pieces of polystyrene and various plastics washed ashore from the farms, further contributing to marine pollution. Abandonment of these sites also led to the accumulation of additional litter on the beaches, including broken boats, ropes, plastic bottles, and fishing lines.

Nylon fish farm nets will be sent to Aquafil via our partner Diopas for recycling into new products, demonstrating a full-circle approach to marine litter management. Other type of nets will be received by our partner Bracenet, and other type of waste will be processed for recycling locally.

Quotes:

Veronika Mikos, Director of Healthy Seas:
“Clean waters should be a right for all coastal communities around the world. Our mission goes beyond just cleaning up; it’s about reclaiming these waters for marine life and the people who depend on them. Collaboration is key in projects like this, where the private sector can support the public, raise awareness on pressing issues, and offer tangible solutions. We are grateful to our partners and volunteers who are making this possible.”

Elvira Herrera, Corporate Communications Expert at Hyundai Motor Europe:
“Hyundai’s ‘Progress for Humanity’ vision is reflected in our partnership with Healthy Seas. By addressing the problem of abandoned fish farms and marine litter, we are not only protecting marine ecosystems but also supporting coastal communities. This initiative is a testament to our dedication to a more sustainable future and making a positive impact on the environment.”

Pascal van Erp, Founder of Ghost Diving:
“We are incredibly proud of our volunteer divers who have generously donated their time and expertise to this critical project. Tackling industrial-scale pollution is no easy task, but through coordinated efforts and unwavering dedication, we are making a significant impact on the health of our marine environments. This operation in Western Greece showcases the strength of our procedures and systems at Ghost Diving, allowing us to manage large-scale projects with numerous teams efficiently and safely.”

Conclusion:

This mission’s success is a testament to the power of collaboration and commitment in tackling marine pollution. By reclaiming these waters, Healthy Seas and Hyundai have not only restored the marine environment but also empowered local communities to reclaim their right to clean seas.

Healthy Seas and Hyundai encourage continued support, awareness, and involvement from the community and stakeholders to address the pressing issue of ocean pollution.