Prince Albert II Foundation joins battle against the curse of ghost nets

Considered to be one of the most significant forms of marine pollution, the Mediterranean Sea is said to be overflowing with this debris.

Abandoned fishing nets are a danger for marine species. In order to stop this scourge, the Prince Albert II Foundation has joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), which is helping to combat the threat of stray fishing equipment.

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This global initiative, joined by Spain in April this year, brings together 20 national governments as well as private and public sector representatives. Founded in 2015, the GGGI works to prevent nets from becoming unhooked and seeks to clean them from the oceans when it is too late. In 2017, the initiative developed the “good practice framework for the management of fishing nets” to help companies and states better control and recycle these deathly nets.

SEE ALSO : Prince Albert II: “our contemporaries are gradually grasping the need to take better care of the oceans”

Making up 46% to 70% of all macroplastics in the ocean, ghost nets are thought to be one of the most widespread forms of marine plastic pollution. In the Mediterranean Sea, 77% of marine debris is drifting nets, an alarming number that the Prince Albert II Foundation hopes to reduce through its influence and actions.

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“The protection of marine ecosystems and the fight against plastic pollution is a major concern of the Foundation. Tackling the problem of ghost nets, which endanger marine life and the health of the ocean, requires collaborative work if we are to achieve effective change,” said Olivier Wenden, Vice President and Managing Director of the Prince Albert II Foundation.

More information on the Foundation’s work: FPA2