01 Jan Did you know? Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been lost, abandoned, or discarded at sea

Did you know? Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been lost, abandoned, or discarded at sea and they are threatening our marine environment. Every year ghost nets are responsible for trapping and killing millions of marine animals including sharks, rays, fish, turtles, dolphins, whales, crustaceans, and birds. An estimated 640,000 tons of nets end up in the ocean every year, according to a study released in 2018 by the World Animal Protection. These nets are usually made of nylon plastic and take centuries to break down. Ghost nets cause further damage by entangling live coral, smothering reefs and introducing parasites and invasive species into reef environments. They also impact the beauty of shorelines, resulting in expensive cleanup costs and financial loss for the tourism industry. It is important that we support programs that address this issue from upcycling discarded gear and educating fishermen to dispose of their gear properly.