Ghost Diving has linked up with sponsors Healthy Seas Foundation and vehicle manufacturer Hyundai Motor Europe to kick-start a year-long reclamation project on the many abandoned fish-farms scattered along the coast of western Greece.
Plastic pollution and accumulations of marine litter are features of these fish-farms, and the initiative has begun with a ten-day intensive underwater clean-up by Ghost Diving volunteers, carried out in parallel with a coastal clean-up by topside volunteers.
The initial phase concentrated on two locations, near Patras and in Ithaca, where the aim was to clean that part of a fish-farm that had been too deep at 30-60m to tackle on previous missions.
Using closed-circuit rebreathers, the Ghost Diving teams removed 42.7 tons of marine litter, including 11.3 tons of large nets that had been entangled on the seabed, for sorting and recycling.
Surface structures such as rings or cages made of floating pipes were also collected, along with polystyrene and other plastics that had washed ashore and caused an accumulation of beach litter that included broken boats, ropes, plastic bottles and fishing-line.
Healthy Seas and Hyundai are undertaking to organise linked educational programmes in collaboration with local universities and schools throughout the year.
More clean-up operations and initiatives to promote awareness and action are now set to follow, an initial survey of up to 830km of coastline having identified 150 possible locations of scattered fish-farming-related waste.
Previous clean-up efforts had been confined to single locations in Ithaca in 2021 and 2022 (see the links below).
“We are incredibly proud of our volunteer divers, who have generously donated their time and expertise to this critical project,” said Pascal van Erp, who founded the Ghost Diving charity in the Netherlands in 2012 with other technical divers dedicated to removing lost fishing-gear and other marine debris.
“Tackling industrial-scale pollution is no easy task but, through co-ordinated efforts and unwavering dedication, we are making a significant impact on the health of our marine environments,” said van Erp.
“This operation in western Greece showcases the strength of our procedures and systems at Ghost Diving, allowing us to manage large-scale projects with numerous teams efficiently and safely.”
Retrieved nylon fish-farm netting is sent to Aquafil via a partner called Diopas for recycling into new products. Other type of net are sent to Bracenet to be turned into jewellery, and further waste products are processed for recycling locally.
“Clean waters should be a right for all coastal communities around the world,” observed Healthy Seas director Veronika Mikos. “Our mission goes beyond just cleaning up; it’s about reclaiming these waters for marine life and the people who depend on them.
“Collaboration is key in projects like this, where the private sector can support the public, raise awareness on pressing issues and offer tangible solutions. We are grateful to our partners and volunteers who are making this possible.”
Also read: Ghost Diving continues Ithaca clean-up, Ghost Diving returns to Ithaca, Healthy Seas removes 76 tons of debris from Ithaca, Healthy Seas wins award at Cannes World Film Festival
