Where do the fishing nets come from in 7vs. Wild?

The third season of 7 vs. Wild is exciting – and shocking. The entire coast of the lonely island is littered with plastic waste, with every tide bringing more of it to shore. The masses of old fishing nets in particular prove to be useful for the candidates of 7 vs Wild, after all, they are perfect for a hammock.

But where do these fishing nets come from – and what can we do about them?

The third season of 7 vs. Wild is once again really exciting. And at the same time shocking, because the entire coast of the lonely island is littered with plastic waste. Whether flip-flops, drinking bottles, balls or dolls - every tide brings more of it ashore. It is no secret, that we have a garbage problem , but rarely do we see it so clearly. The masses of old fishing nets in particular attract our attention because they prove to be extremely useful for the contestants of 7 vs Wild. But where do they actually come from?

The supposedly deserted island of 7 vs. Wild is full of plastic waste. Source : Fritz Meinecke on YouTube, “7 vs. Wild: Panama – Deadly Paradise | Episode 2”, 49:50

Fishing nets replace items in 7 vs. Wild

The participants of the second season of 7 vs. Wild were left alone for a week on Isla San José in Panama. They are surrounded by wild and beautiful nature full of spectacular flora and fauna. In short, it is a paradise. Or is it? A second look reveals that nature is by no means untouched. Plastic waste is everywhere and numerous washed-up fishing nets are evidence of industrial fishing. And this waste is not even the worst thing this island has had to go through: In the 1940s, the US military tested chemical weapons on Isla San José - but that is another topic.

The fishing nets on the island in particular are of great importance for 7 vs. Wild. In fact, they change the whole concept of the series: Of all the rubbish lying around on the island, they are the ones that are used the most to survive the seven days in the wilderness. Whether as ropes, for building hammocks or even to deter crocodiles, the fishing nets turn out to be a valuable resource. So the maximum of seven items that the participants have with them become a whole lot more. But why are there so many of them lying around here? We'll enlighten you!

Fritz Meinecke only has one item with him: a machete. But thanks to all the fishing nets on the island at 7 vs. Wild, he quickly builds himself a hammock. Source : Fritz Meinecke on YouTube, “7 vs. Wild: Panama – The First Night | Episode 4”, 40:26

Fishing nets in 7 vs. Wild are “ghost nets”

The fishing nets you saw in 7 vs. Wild are so-called “ghost nets.” They are called that because they were either lost or intentionally dumped in the sea and then “ghost” through the water until they get caught on wrecks and reefs or are washed ashore, like the deserted island in 7 vs. Wild.

Why do so many old fishing nets end up in the sea?

There can be many reasons why ghost nets end up in the sea. Overall, ghost nets are primarily a symptom of industrial fishing - and often preventable. Here are a few typical causes of ghost nets:

• Environmental influences : Trawl nets can get caught on reefs or wrecks and sometimes break off, and gill nets can also be torn loose in strong storms.

• Lack of waste management: During repair work, broken pieces of net are cut out generously and often simply thrown overboard or lost overboard

• Economic considerations: Disposing of used fishing nets is often expensive, which can make it attractive to simply dispose of the nets in the sea.

• Illegal fishing: If an illegal fishing boat is in danger of being caught, the nets may be thrown overboard or cut to remove evidence.

If you want to learn more about how fishing nets become ghost nets, check out our post “ 5 Things You Should Know About Ghost Nets ”.

Ghost nets drift through all oceans and threaten marine animals and ecosystems

What do ghost nets mean for the environment?

• Ghost nets are silent killers
  Fishing nets are the deadliest type of plastic waste in our seas because they are used for fishing. And even if they lose their purpose as ghost nets, they still keep their function - and keep fishing. Countless marine animals get caught in the nets, can no longer free themselves and die an agonizing death. Ghost nets are also a danger on land - for example, for Germany’s only gannet colony on Heligoland.

• Half of the plastic waste in our oceans is ghost nets
  Many people have never heard of ghost nets, but the problem is huge: every year up to 1 million tons of these former fishing nets end up in our seas. Studies show that they make up the majority of marine plastic. For example, Great Pacific Garbage Patch , the world's largest plastic vortex, 46% from ghost nets .

• Ghost nets pollute the oceans
  This problem will not end anytime soon. It will take It takes 400 to 600 years for ghost nets to finally decompose into small plastic particles (so-called microplastics), thus polluting the oceans forever and irreversibly.

BRACENET fights against the ghost nets!

The participants of 7 vs. Wild have wonderfully demonstrated how well former fishing nets can be reused. Keyword: Upcycling ! This is our daily business at BRACENET. Together with our partner organizations Healthy Seas , Ghost Diving and Nofir We recover them from the water or take them directly from fisheries and clean them in an environmentally friendly way using only water. We then give the nets a new life and upcycle them by hand in our Hamburg factory to create new products such as bracelets (the “Bracenets”), key chains, anklets and much more.

Each of our products contributes to the protection of our oceans. Not only does it mean one less piece of ghost net, but we also regularly donate to Healthy Seas to finance recovery missions and preventive measures and support many other projects to protect the oceans and marine animals. For example, we fight with Sea Shepherd for the survival of porpoises in the Baltic Sea or support the Mission Erde e. V. by Robert Marc Lehmann .

Learn more about our mission here!

The divers from Ghost Diving recover ghost nets from depths of up to 50m. With our donations we help to finance these recovery missions.

7 vs. Wild Bracenet: Bracelet made from former fishing nets

You too can help to free the seas from the specter of nets – with your 7 vs. Wild Bracenet from former fishing nets! You can now find it as part of the official “7 vs. Wild” collection in Fritz Meinecke's online shop .

About Bracenet:

• Upcycling bracelet made from former fishing nets
• Handcrafted in Hamburg personally for you
• Strong magnetic closure with “7 vs Wild” engraving
• Your contribution to marine conservation

The 7 vs. Wild Bracenet is your contribution to protecting our oceans!

Fishing nets at 7 vs. Wild: A curse for the environment

To summarize: The fishing nets on the island of 7 vs. Wild are actually ghost nets that have washed ashore. They are the deadliest plastic waste in our oceans and a huge threat to marine animals. Every year, up to 1 million tons of these former fishing nets end up in our oceans. Even though they are a blessing for the participants of 7 vs. Wild as upcycled material, they are a curse for the environment. But with BRACENET and Fritz Meinecke you can help stop the ghost nets!