WWF is planning a campaign to remove the backlogged nets from the Baltic Sea!

Existing for 50 years, in over 150 countries, WWF is one of the world’s largest environmental organisations. In Poland, during its 10 years of activity, the organization has been involved in, among others: the protection of rivers, forests, large predators and Baltic mammals. WWF is also trying to save the fauna and flora of the Baltic Sea, one of the smallest and most vulnerable seas in the world.

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The organisation’s latest initiative is a pilot project to remove nets lying on wrecks from the Baltic Sea. Unfortunately, our sea is sensitive to any changes, especially those caused by human activity. Taking into account the specific nature of this body of water, the International Maritime Organisation has given the Baltic Sea the status of a particularly sensitive sea. In addition to the excessive amounts of artificial fertilisers that end up in the Baltic, overfishing, increased maritime traffic and pollution, improper fishing practices, such as leaving or losing fishing gear at sea, are a very serious problem.

Studies have confirmed the existence of the problem of lost fishing nets (Ghost Nets). Currently, there is very little action to reduce the negative impact of lost nets. A study commissioned by the Institue for European Environmental Policy found that the fishing capacity of nets lying in the sea for 3 months is 20%, and after 27 months, it is still 6% of the initial capacity. Since annual catch limits for different fish species are set at the highest possible level to guarantee the stability of fish populations, an extra few percent of the fish population lost in a backlog of nets could result in unstable stocks!

It goes without saying how dangerous nets are for divers. When preparing for wreck dives, divers are always equipped with cutting tools to help them free themselves if they become entangled in a net.

The project, through the action of removing lost nets from the Baltic Sea, aims to draw attention to the problem of marine litter and show ways to solve it. The main objective is to remove and reduce the amount of fishing gear lying on the Baltic Sea. The action of cleaning the sea of nets will cover Polish territorial waters, and what is important for us divers, shipwrecks on which there are such nets! An important part of the project is also an information and education campaign, aimed at raising awareness of the threats posed by pollution of the Baltic Sea.

The project was divided into 5 stages. During the first stage there was a meeting of a group of experts from the Maritime Institute in Gdansk, the Sea Fishermen’s Association, the Maritime Academy in Szczecin and net manufacturers. The meeting was also attended by representatives of WWF Poland, skippers, the Polish Maritime Museum in Gdansk and divers. During the meeting, pictures of which are presented below, the potential locations of nets in the Baltic Sea were presented, techniques for removing nets from the sea and from wrecks were discussed, and maritime areas and wrecks were delineated.

The main stage, the Baltic clean-up operation, will take place in summer 2011 and will involve 20 days of work at sea. The project will be concluded in December 2011.

The project is funded by the Baltic Sea 2020 Foundation.

Source: WWF Poland, Krzysztof Wnorowski CN Tryton