We introduce our partners: Part 1
Ghost nets have a long journey behind them. But also ahead of them, until they adorn our wrists: They are recovered, cleaned and handcrafted to Bracenet processed. We rely on the active support of our partners on this path – and here we would like to introduce you to the work of Healthy Seas. Since 2016, we have been working with the initiative to remove ghost nets from the oceans and directly intercept end-of-life nets from fisheries so that they do not end up in the ocean in the first place. We also regularly donate to Healthy Seas – and you are certainly interested in how you can contribute to the fight against Ghost nets contributes!
Who is Healthy Seas?
Healthy Seas is a foundation dedicated to the problem of marine litter, particularly fishing nets. It was founded in 2013 as an initiative by a non-profit organization and two companies: Ghost Diving, Aquafil, and Star Sock. Ghost Diving is the world's leading organization for the recovery of ghost nets; Aquafil develops ECONYL® yarn from recycled nylon (including old ghost nets); and Star Sock produces socks made from ECONYL® and organic cotton. They all share the mission of ridding the oceans and marine animals of plastic waste and reusing used material. Healthy Seas was born from this idea: The initiative saves marine animals and protects ecosystems by recovering ghost nets from the oceans and breathing new life into them.
The work of Healthy Seas
"A Journey from Waste to Wear" – Healthy Seas' motto aptly describes their work. The initiative starts with "waste": They dive for ghost nets, preventively intercept them from fisheries as end-of-life nets, and raise awareness among the public. After the nets are recovered and cleaned by our partner Nofir, part is given to Aquafil for recycling and part to us at Bracenet for upcycling, thus becoming "wear."
Recovering the nets
Healthy Seas dives with around 250 divers from Ghost Diving for ghost nets. There are now over 15 dive teams around the world – starting in the Netherlands, extending from the USA to South Korea to New Zealand, and now also in Germany. Most of our nets come from the North Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Adriatic Sea.
Here, they search for ghost nets, which are usually caught on wrecks or reefs. Professional technical divers carefully cut the nets free and free entangled marine animals. This saves stingrays, starfish, and crustaceans that would otherwise die in the nets. They then use so-called "lifting bags" to bring the nets to the surface. Other team members then haul them onto boats and finally bring them ashore. Once the ghost nets are recovered, marine life can flourish again.
Divers from Ghost Diving searching for ghost nets.
The prevention work
Recovering ghost nets is an important contribution to protecting the oceans. However, since up to 1 million tons of fishing gear are ending up in the oceans, Healthy Seas is committed to prevention work with us. We work with fisheries, fish farms, and coastal communities to intercept their end-of-life nets before they are discarded. We are also developing new solutions to prevent nets from ending up in the ocean in the future. Our efforts are paying off: More and more fisheries are approaching us with discarded nets. Are you part of a fishery that would like to dispose of old nets, or have you, for example, found a net on the beach? Then please contact our Netquarter ! We then check with Healthy Seas the disposal options or accept the nets directly and use them for our products such as the Bracenets and Keychain .
The educational work
Beyond the water, Healthy Seas is also committed to raising public awareness of ghost nets. Through lectures and educational programs, the initiative educates the public about the impact of lost fishing gear on marine life and emphasizes the importance of healthy oceans both ecologically and economically.
The way forward
Healthy Seas' work doesn't end with diving for nets: the initiative also aims to breathe new life into them. The nets, which are suitable for upcycling, Bracenets Healthy Seas delivers the products after cleaning by Nofir to us. These are usually nets made of HDPE ( high - density polyethylene ) , as their fibers and structure make them ideal for everyday use on the wrist. Other nets are sent for recycling to Aquafil, one of the founding companies of Healthy Seas. Aquafil uses nylon nets together with other nylon waste to produce its recycled ECONYL® yarn, which is used, for example, for sustainable clothing - such as socks by other founding partner Star Sock and swimwear by other companies. While the ghost nets in the ocean are still unwanted waste, the joint work of Healthy Seas, Bracenet and other partners gives them a new life and turns them into beloved clothing and accessories.
We check whether networks are suitable for bracenets.
The success
Since its founding in 2013, Healthy Seas Healthy Seas has already recovered 773 tons of nets from the ocean – equivalent to the weight of over four blue whales, the largest animal on Earth. Healthy Seas has thus saved countless marine animals and prevented thousands more from becoming entangled in nets. Healthy Seas is also a key link in the chain that makes the production of our Bracenets and ECONYL® with nets possible. Healthy Seas' efforts to protect our oceans are also publicly recognized and rewarded – for example, in 2019, Healthy Seas received the Circular Economy Award at the "Green Carpet Fashion Awards" during Milan Fashion Week.
A partner we are happy to support
Healthy Seas is waging a tremendous fight against ghost nets, and we are grateful for their support since our founding. We have now processed nearly 7 tons of ghost nets into bracenets and other products, generating a total of over €167,000 in donations for Healthy Seas. With our donations and others, the organization has been able to upgrade its equipment, expand its activities, and grow its volunteer dive teams from 50 to 250 divers. We've come a long way together—and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to finally rid the oceans of the ghost nets!
We are donating €20,000 to Healthy Seas. Together, we have already raised a total of €167,000 for the initiative.
To stay up to date with new developments at Healthy Seas, visit the Website from Healthy Seas.
Would you also like to learn more about ghost nets? Here are 5 things you should know about ghost nets .