Ghost Diving and Diving for Ghost Nets
The world can learn a thing or two from ghost diving: volunteer divers use their skills, experience and knowledge to give something back to the oceans. More specifically, they take back something that we humans have left behind in the oceans: old fishing gear floating in the water. Let's learn more about their vital work!
We introduce our partners: Part 2
We produce by hand. Right from the beginning, because the ghost nets for our products are recovered by hand (and fins). The volunteer, experienced, technical divers of Ghost Diving recover ghost nets from depths of up to 50 meters and save countless marine animals.
Ghost Diving and all of its divers are making an incredibly great and valuable contribution to freeing the oceans from the specter of nets. Their efforts enable us to manufacture our products and enable all of us to save the oceans together. In return, we also support the “Ghost Divers”, stay in close contact and spread the message about our shared mission. That's why we want to introduce you to Ghost Diving's commitment in more detail here!
The work of Ghost Diving
What is your mission?
The world can learn a thing or two from ghost diving: volunteer divers use their skills, experience and knowledge to give something back to the oceans. More specifically, they take something that we humans have left behind in the oceans: old fishing equipment that is floating in the water. At the same time, the organization is promoting preventive measures to ensure that ghost nets do not end up in the oceans in the first place. So they fight net by net for their mission to free the oceans and marine animals from the specter of ghost nets and ensure that the nets do not decompose into dangerous microplastics over the next 400-600 years.
How and since when do we work with Ghost Diving?
In 2016 we are on Healthy Seas and presented our idea for Bracenet. They were enthusiastic – and since then we have been connected not only with Healthy Seas, but also with Ghost Diving! Our two partners have always worked closely together: After all, Ghost Diving is one of the founding members of Healthy Seas, along with Aquafil and Star Sock. In many places, Healthy Seas organizes the rescue missions with the divers from Ghost Diving – so our support for Healthy Seas is also support for Ghost Diving. With the help of our donations of now over 150,000 € They were able to expand their activities, upgrade their equipment and increase their diving teams from 50 to 250 people.
Where is Ghost Diving active?
Ghost nets are a global problem and need a global solution. What began as a volunteer project in the Netherlands in 2009 has now become a global movement: Ghost Diving The Netherlands, Adriatic, East Med, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Korea, Lake Iseo, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Philippines, Spain, United Kingdom and USA have already recovered hundreds of tons of ghost nets together. And their influence goes beyond the individual waters – because ghost diving is, like us, part of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative to combat ghost gear in a worldwide network.
Here you can see where ghost diving is active.
How does the recovery of ghost nets work?
Finding Ghost Nets
Ghost Diving collects information about discovered nets and actively searches for tangled nets on reefs and wrecks. The divers check the condition of the nets to make sure they are ghost nets and no longer in use. One sign of this is that they are overgrown with algae. If you see a ghost net yourself, you can contact Ghost Diving via their website inform about it.
recovering ghost nets
Where exactly is the net and how can it be reached? What kind of sea plants grow here, what animals live here? What kind of net is it and what condition is it in? Once these questions have been clarified and the planned recovery process has been discussed in a detailed safety briefing, the Ghost Divers head out onto the water. When they go diving, they each have four oxygen tanks with them, which weigh a total of 70 kilos - in addition to other equipment. It goes without saying that only experienced divers with technical training are involved in these projects! As soon as they have reached the net, they examine it carefully and free animals that have become entangled, like you, for example. in this video Then they use knives to cut the often completely tangled nets loose and attach air-filled "lifting bags" that bring the heavy nets to the water surface. The rest of the team waits in the boat and pulls in the nets - depending on the size and weight of the nets, using a crane. Mission complete!
What happens to the networks?
Back on land, Healthy Seas takes over and hands the nets over to our partner Nofir for environmentally friendly cleaning. At the factory in Lithuania, everything ghostly is washed away so that they shine in their bright colors again.
Since the nets have been drifting for longer or shorter periods of time and in different waters, not all of them are in the same condition. We select the best and most beautiful ones on site to make our products from. These are usually nets made of HDPE ( high density polyethylene). polyethylene ), as they are suitable for everyday use and can give us pleasure for many years to come. We have a free choice - because Nofir delivers the remaining nets to Aquafil for recycling.
On the way to her new destiny as Bracenets , dog leashes and our other products, the nets still have one last journey ahead of them: to us in Germany. To do this, we wait for transporters with empty spaces that are heading our way anyway and book the free space for our nets. This way we ensure that they are not on the road for nothing and transport the nets as sustainably as possible.
What has Ghost Diving already achieved?
In collaboration with Healthy Seas alone, Ghost Diving has been Over 773 tons of ghost nets were recovered . In addition, there is the work from the previous four years since the foundation in 2009 as well as from independent recovery trips and cooperation with Greenpeace, WWF, Global Ghost Gear Initiative and Global Underwater Explorers. But what is much more exciting is what is to come: more and more teams are joining the Ghost Divers and will be making the oceans around the world a little cleaner in the coming years. We are delighted to be able to accompany and support the divers!
How can I support Ghost Diving? Where can I find out more?
Together we have already achieved a lot and together we will achieve much more. We are well prepared for this: We are widely networked, represented in the Global Ghost Gear Initiative and are counting on great support, including from you.
Would you like to support Ghost Diving directly? You can, for example, donate to the organisation Donate . Or are you very experienced in diving and would like to volunteer on weekends and recover ghost nets yourself? Then please contact Ghost Diving .
To learn more about Ghost Diving, visit their website . You may also be interested in 5 Things You Should Know About Ghost Nets or our blog post about our partner Healthy Seas .