09 Oct 2018
Aeolian Islands:
Milestone mission as 3 ton ghost net is removed from the seabed
From October 6-8, an amazing 6-person team of Dutch and Italian Ghost Fishing volunteer divers carried out a ghost net recovery mission off the coast of the Aeolian Islands in Italy. It was organised by Healthy Seas in cooperation with the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund, Blue Marine Foundation and sponsored by Aquafil.
From October 6-8, an amazing 6-person team of Dutch and Italian Ghost Fishing volunteer divers carried out a ghost net recovery mission off the coast of the Aeolian Islands in Italy. It was organised by Healthy Seas in cooperation with the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund, Blue Marine Foundation and sponsored by Aquafil.
Pursuing a tip from the locals, our goal was an enormous fish farm net which was apparently blown out to sea 10 years ago when a big storm hit the island. Over the first 2 days we performed some preparation dives to assist in the recovery of what ended up being the biggest one in Ghost Fishing’s history! The net weighed almost 3 tons while the long lines weighed another ton, a total of 4 tons in just 3 days. With help from local fishermen and the Coast guard and while using only our hands and no machinery, the monster ghost net was brought to surface on October 8th.
The net was surprisingly clean and very suitable for regeneration by Aquafil into ECONYL® yarn, a sustainable raw material used for the production of socks, carpets and swimwear.
We would like to especially thank Lipari Diving and La Gorgonia Diving Center.
The net was surprisingly clean and very suitable for regeneration by Aquafil into ECONYL® yarn, a sustainable raw material used for the production of socks, carpets and swimwear.
We would like to especially thank Lipari Diving and La Gorgonia Diving Center.