Operation Ghost Farms to reclaim wasters of western Greece

Have you ever heard of Ghost Farms? Ghost farms are abandoned aquaculture in the water (in a sea or lake) without human supervision or maintenance. Abandoned fish farms pose a serious threat to the environment.

Their structures are full of components made of synthetic polymer, PVC, PET, and other types of plastic. Ghost farms and their plastic structures slowly become microplastics, contaminating local and global waters.

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Healthy Seas regularly, year-round, works towards recovering marine litter, specifically ghost nets and other lost or abandoned fishing gear. There are significant differences between ghost nets and ghost farms. Ghost nets are abandoned fishing nets with unknown ownership, whereas ghost farms are commercial aquaculture with known ownership, documented and registered. Ghost farms are industrial-scale pollution sources, stemming from commercial aquaculture operations where ownership is typically established.

I was happy to be part of the major cleanup effort, where Healthy Seas, Hyundai Europe, together with various partners removed 42.7 tons of marine debris, including large nets, rings, and other plastics of Ghost Farms. An essential part of the yearlong Operation Ghost Farms is ensuring that the collected marine litter is recycled. All the debris will be processed locally, and the fishing nets will be sent to Healthy Seas’ partner Aquafil. Together with other synthetic polymer waste, these nets will be recycled into new synthetic polymer yarn for products. This approach keeps materials in the flow, avoiding the extraction of new resources.

One of the locations of this operation was the island of Ithaca:

The beautiful island of Ithaca is famous as the homeland of Odysseus, the legendary hero of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. Here, the faithful Penelope waits patiently for twenty years for her husband’s return after the Trojan War.

After a prolonged journey full of adventures, Odysseus finally made his way back to his beloved Ithaca, which has come to symbolize a long and challenging journey. The waters around Ithaca are crystal blue, the visibility is endless, and it is home to the highly endangered monk seal. The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is the rarest of the 33 living seal species on Earth. It is one of the most critically endangered animals in the world.

Unfortunately, the waters around Ithaca are facing the problem of ghost farms. In 2012, an industrial-scale fish farm went bankrupt, abandoning tons of nets, cages, and traps to the elements. Over nearly a decade, this infrastructure deteriorated, breaking down and drifting into the sea, causing severe environmental damage. The seabed of Ithaca’s southeast coast has been devastated. The situation worsened in 2020 when Cyclone Ianos tore through Western Greece and its islands and dislodged the abandoned equipment, scattering it even farther away. This catastrophe has left a trail of destruction, severely impacting both the local marine ecosystem and biodiversity.

The Healthy Seas Foundation tackled this nightmare in 2021 and 2022, removing 101 tons of marine litter from this abandoned fish farm already by 2022. During their cleanups, they also cleaned up the beaches. They left them clean in the last few years, but when they returned in 2024, they encountered beaches full of ghost farm waste again.

How comes?

The fish farm, when still working, was floating in shallow depths. Once abandoned and sunk, and with the devastation of the Cyclone, the pollution is spread very wide and deep in the sea. Waves and current wash litter from the ghost farm ashore, again and again.

During 2021 and 2022, the volunteer divers from Ghost Diving tackled shallow depths – now in 2024, they are going deeper and deeper. One of them told me after removing tons of litter on Ithaca,

we were just scratching the surface

there is so much lying down there. These dedicated volunteers from Ghost Diving play a crucial role in addressing the deep-seated pollution issues.

Before the 10-day cleanup mission, Healthy Seas conducted, together with Ozon, a survey. During this survey, they navigated 440-450 nautical miles and pinpointed approximately 150 areas where waste related to fish farming was scattered along the western Greek coastline. This data strongly indicates the extensive scale of the problem, suggesting that there could be numerous abandoned sites involved. In contrast to earlier initiatives in Ithaca from 2021 and 2022, which concentrated on isolated areas, Operation Ghost Farms broadens its reach to encompass multiple sites and pledges sustained, ongoing involvement.

How are fish farms constructed and what is the related waste?

Fish farms in coastal areas are usually established through a systematic process. Initially, pens made from robust net materials are installed. Pens are often floating structures anchored to the seabed or secured to buoys, ensuring stability against ocean currents and waves. The nets themselves are manufactured from synthetic polymer. These nets must be strong enough to contain the fish while allowing water circulation for oxygenation and waste removal.

Synthetic polymer’s resistance and its ability to maintain structural integrity make it a preferred material for aquaculture applications. The downside of synthetic polymer is that it is a plastic – non degradable and eventually degradation into microplastics. Healthy Seas is proud to be partnering with Diopas, who designed the first fully circular 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐭 made from regenerated ECONYL® synthetic polymer, to reduce waste in the aquaculture sector.

One interesting and unexpected discovery during a beach cleanup was the presence of tiny white balls – polystyrene foam. This material, commonly used to provide buoyancy to floating structures in aquaculture such as fish cages, rafts, and platforms, is essential for keeping these structures afloat on the water surface to support fish farming operations. However, these small bits of polystyrene have now been found floating in the water and washing ashore, originating from abandoned aquaculture sites and contributing significantly to beach pollution. Cleaning up polystyrene is exceedingly challenging, if not impossible, due to its persistence and the difficulty in collecting every small piece. Ozon emphasized the severity of the issue, stating,

We must all keep in mind that polystyrene constitutes 38% of all litter we collect on remote beaches.

During a cleanup organized by Healthy Seas in Greece, volunteers were shocked to discover that ants were constructing their nests using polystyrene beads, highlighting a concerning revelation about plastic pollution. A study found that ants play an active role in transporting microplastics, as experiments demonstrated their preference for carrying plastic micro particles and leaf fragments over tiny stones. Over a 14-day period, ants removed 15.8% of plastic, 19.15% of leaf fragments, and 3.3% of tiny stones. The research suggests that ants, due to their widespread presence and foraging behavior, could unintentionally contribute to the dispersion of microplastics in terrestrial environments. The fact that these ants were using actively polystyrene to build their nests shows from one side, how opportunistic and flexible these insects are, but on the other hand, how far we have already reached with humans’ destructive character in nature’s world.

Beyond the immediate cleanup efforts, this story of ghost farms raises broader questions about the sustainability of aquaculture practices worldwide. While aquaculture plays a crucial role in global food production, providing nearly half of all seafood consumed globally, its rapid expansion has not always been accompanied by adequate environmental safeguards. The case of western Greece is a strong reminder of the unintended consequences when aquaculture ventures fail or are poorly managed.

It also shows the need for improved regulatory frameworks and industry standards. Law enforcement needs to be improved. There is no excuse for letting a ghost farm go bankrupt and sink, and then abandoning it. In the absence of action, it may remain there forever. What is the reason that a non-profit foundation should take on this issue? Do not the governmental bodies and law enforcement agencies have a role to play in resolving this issue?

By holding operators accountable and promoting responsible aquaculture practices, governments can mitigate the environmental footprint of these operations and prevent future ghost farm scenarios.

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This mission is a collaborative effort between the Healthy Seas foundation and Hyundai Motor Europe, supported by a diverse group of organizations and institutional partners. Acknowledgements are extended to the volunteer divers of Ghost Diving.

Associated partners are Aquafil, Diopas, Ozon, the European Outdoor Education Hub, Odyssey Outdoor Activities, and DOTANK Plus, which worked as our impact strategy and project development advisor. We also appreciate the support from our institutional partners: the Municipality of Nafpaktia, Municipality of Xiromero, Municipality of Ithaca, the Decentralized Administration of Peloponnese, Western Greece and the Ionian, the Hellenic Public Real Estate Agency of Aetolia-Acarnania, and the Port Authority of Nafpaktos. This project operates under the auspices of the Region of Western Greece and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Greece.

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The Journey of Healthy Seas: A Decade of Impact

Founded in 2013, the Healthy Seas Foundation has been at the forefront of tackling the ghost fishing phenomenon, a significant marine pollution issue caused by lost or abandoned fishing gear. Ghost fishing is responsible for the needless death of countless marine animals, making it a critical environmental concern.

Since its inception, Healthy Seas has grown substantially, relying on the dedication of 550 volunteer divers who have been instrumental in their cleanup efforts. These volunteers have contributed to the recovery of over 1250 tonnes of fishing nets from our oceans, showcasing the foundation’s relentless commitment to preserving marine life and habitats.

In addition to cleanup operations, Healthy Seas focuses on prevention and education, partnering with fishermen and local communities to reduce marine litter at its source. Their comprehensive approach ensures not just the immediate removal of debris but also long-term sustainability through awareness and proactive measures.