GHOSTNETS

The intervention carried out by Marevivo, Castalia, and CoNISMa to restore marine habitats damaged by the removal of abandoned or lost fishing and aquaculture gear in the sea, as part of the PNRR MER – Marine Ecosystem Restoration, is the largest project for the restoration, protection, and monitoring of the Mediterranean Sea launched by ISPRA under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

WHY THE PROJECT WAS CREATED

Every year, around 100,000 mammals and one million seabirds die due to entanglement in fishing nets or after ingesting fragments released into the sea. Data from the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) shows that 86.5% of waste in the marine environment is linked to fishing activities, with 94% of it being abandoned nets. “Ghost Nets,” the abandoned fishing nets, therefore represent one of the most insidious forms of marine pollution.

THE OBJECTIVES

The GHOSTNETS project aims to clear the seafloor of abandoned fishing gear and restore habitats at 20 sites along Italy’s coastlines in Liguria, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Sicily, Puglia, Marche, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto, with the goal of preserving local wildlife and flora. This operation involves a team of “Ghostbusters of the seas”: highly skilled divers and remotely operated underwater robots with mechanical arms to cut, manipulate, and remove nets at depths greater than 40 meters. The process includes removal, collection, transport, proper disposal, and, if possible, recycling of the nets.

Some info on the damage caused by ghost nets

In recent decades, the spread of abandoned fishing nets (ALDFG – Abandoned, Lost, or Discarded Fishing Gear) has increased significantly, mainly due to the intensification of fishing activities and the growing use of synthetic materials. These materials, while cheaper and more durable, are also much more harmful to the environment compared to natural fibers, such as hemp or cotton, that were used in older nets. Ghost nets take hundreds of years to break down into micro and nano plastics, continuing to cause ghost fishing by indiscriminately trapping marine flora and fauna, even without human control.

Ghost nets continue to exercise ghost fishing, capturing marine flora and fauna indiscriminately, even without human intervention. The main damages caused by abandoned nets include:

Posidonia oceanica meadows: They suffer severe physical damage, such as shading and abrasion, leading to the death or uprooting of plants.
Coralligenous habitats: Sessile species are torn, destroyed, or covered by the nets, suffering irreparable damage that disrupts the ecological balance.
Marine fauna: Fish, turtles, and other marine animals become trapped or injured by the nets, which continue to capture living beings even after being abandoned, causing suffering and death.

THE FIRST STAGES OF OPERATIONS

MONITORING

The first phase of the activities will involve monitoring the areas where abandoned nets have been reported. The survey will be conducted using advanced high-tech equipment, such as Multibeam probes, Side Scan Sonar, and ROVs, which are remotely operated and georeferenced, equipped with HD cameras. The aim is to collect information on the seabed, the detected fishing gear, and the marine species present in the area, while assessing their impact on the biocoenosis and the mobile and benthic species. Based on the collected data, a marine biologist will determine the best method for removing the abandoned net and will analyze any portions that should not be removed in order to avoid further damage to marine organisms located in that area.

REMOVAL

The removal phase of the nets will involve highly specialized technical divers and Underwater Technical Operators (OTS), who, following instructions provided by those on the surface, will remove the nets and bring them to the surface using lifting balloons and cutting tools. The operations area will include a pontoon (supply) and support inflatable boats.

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CIRCULARE ECONOMY

Using discarded fishing nets to produce energy

RECOVERY | RECYCLING

Once the nets are hoisted aboard the pontoon, they will be carefully analyzed by marine biologists to free and return any organisms caught in their mesh to the sea. Each net will be examined to assess its potential for recycling or disposal; part of it will be sent to the Polytechnic University of Marche, which, in collaboration with IRIS Srl, will subject them to an experimental “pyrolysis” process. This is a special decomposition method that allows energy to be produced from waste using “Green Plasma”. By heating the plastic to temperatures above 800 degrees Celsius, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen is obtained, which can be used, for example, to charge electric vehicle batteries.

OPERATIONS

This is custom heading element

After a preliminary phase of mapping the seabed with specialized equipment, approximately 60,000 m² of seabed were inspected and various types of nets were recovered – trawl nets, gillnets, tangled ropes, longlines, and traps – including over 30 ghost nets, some up to 260 meters long (roughly the height of a 100-story skyscraper), at depths of 40-60 meters. Many marine species were finally freed after being trapped for a long time.

The operation was carried out by Diving Technical Operators (DTS), supported by two vessels for the recovery and storage of the nets. The operators dive using a “cage” connected to the ship, maintaining contact with the surface via a tube that provides air, communications, and assistance. Once located, the nets are released, cut if necessary, and lifted to the surface using a winch.

The divers worked safely, using a winch system to recover the nets, protecting the underlying habitats and minimizing the impact on protected species such as sea cucumbers, crown-of-thorns starfish, urchins, and branching corals.

Once the nets were recovered, a thorough sifting was carried out to allow pencil urchins, starfish, small scorpionfish, and other crustaceans to escape, thereby safeguarding as many marine organisms as possible.