Up to 800,000 metric tons of abandoned or lost fishing nets drift around in our oceans each year, according to statistics from the United Nations. These are known as ghost nets.
Every year these drifting commercial fishing nets trap and kill millions of marine animals such as turtles, rays, sharks, dolphins, whales and birds. They can also get caught in coral, damaging reefs and introducing invasive species to these environments.
A number of projects are continually underway to remove these nets. For instance, earlier this year divers removed two tons of nets from the seabed off the coast of Stratoni, a small fishing town in Northern Greece.
Once nets are removed however, they need to be repurposed and one of the ways of doing this is to repair the nets and use them for volleyball. (Recovered nets have also been processed into the recyclable Econyl nylon used for making socks, sportswear, swimwear, and carpets.)
Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), the organisation responsible for world volleyball has partnered with the Ghost Fishing Foundation (a marine conservation group that aims to remove lost fishing nets from the sea) to launch Good Net.
The initiative is supported by Healthy Seas, Greenpeace and World Animal Protection.
The first volleyball event using recycled nets took place on Brazil’s famous Copacabana beach. According to the World Economic Forum, ‘This was the first of a series of FIVB-endorsed volleyball matches planned for different venues around the globe, which aim to raise awareness of the damage caused to marine life and habitats by abandoned fishing gear. ‘
Featured image: Pixabay
