Invisible traps on the seabed of the Baltic Sea

There are countless deadly traps for Baltic animals such as fish, seals, porpoises and diving birds in the form of lost fishing nets and other debris that enter the sea every day. Broken on wrecks and other becks, or lost during storms, synthetic fishing nets retain their ability to catch fish uncontrollably for many years.

Fixed nets (such as nets and mangroves) and driftnets broken during storms pose the greatest threat to marine resources. These nets, which are considered to be entrapping fishing gear, are made of thin fishing yarns or styloon lines that are additionally dyed to reduce their visibility in the water.

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Lost nets of this type threaten the sustainability of stocks of valuable fish species such as cod, salmonids (salmon and sea trout) and flatfish (flounder, plaice and turbot). In addition, diving birds and marine mammals can become entangled in abandoned or abandoned nets and die without respiration.

Fishing nets broken on wrecks are also a deadly threat to so-called “wreck tourism”, i.e. penetration of wrecks by divers, both professional and amateur.

[blockquote style=”2″]Over recent years, public awareness of the problem of marine litter, including ghost nets, has increased significantly. Across Europe, more and more action is being taken to reduce the negative impact of ghost nets on the marine environment. We are particularly pleased to see the commitment of fishermen to caring for the environment on which they depend. Their own initiatives, such as the “Clean Baltic” project currently being implemented in the Polish Baltic Sea zone by five fishing organisations from all along the coast, are particularly valuable,” says Marcin Ruciński of Low Impact Fisheries of Europe.[/blockquote]

Within the framework of the mentioned project, since the beginning of June this year, fishermen have fished out nearly 115 tonnes of waste (including ghost nets) from the Baltic Sea. A total of 563 small fishing vessels are involved in the activities, and the extraction actions will last until January 2018. This is the largest project of its kind ever carried out in the Baltic Sea. It will make a major contribution to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity throughout the Baltic Sea.

Source: Press release