via oceanbites
No more haunting by ‘ghost nets’: bio-based and biodegradable nets could be the solution
“Ghost nets” are nets that have been either accidentally or deliberately lost, abandoned or discarded in the marine environment. While these nets, and other derelict or abandoned fishing gear, no longer serve any purpose for the fishing industry, the nets continue to entangle fish and other marine animals. This can have devastating effects on marine ecosystems.
Fishing nets have been identified as an item of particular concern as part of the European Directive on Single-use Plastics that will come into effect in July 2021. The Directive includes actions to target the collection and recycling of old fishing nets. However, the collection of fishing nets that are lost accidentally at sea remains a challenge. SEALIVE is working to address these issues by developing bio-based fishing nets made from green alternative materials such as micro-algae.
Production of the nets is more sustainable compared to those based on traditional fossil fuel plastics. The nets will also be compostable at an industrial scale. This is particularly important because recycling infrastructure for fishing nets is currently not available in most countries and the recycling of traditional fishing nets can be both labour-intensive and financially non-viable.
SEALIVE’s goal is to enable a transition to biodegradable, compostable nets, coupled with supporting infrastructure for the collection of old nets. This will create a market for otherwise useless fishing nets, providing an additional incentive for the fishing industry to move to sustainable methods of disposal. In addition, if biodegradable nets are lost or discarded in the marine environment, they will degrade much faster than conventional nets, limiting their “ghost net” potential. ISOTECH will work with Cypriot fishermen to test SEALIVE’s biodegradable fishing nets in real-life conditions for 12 months.
The results from this pilot test will help to evaluate the effectiveness and operability of the nets and contribute to the advancement of research and the development of more market competitive products. Commenting on the event, Ms. Anna Tselepou, representing AKTI, said “We are proud to work with our local and international partners to develop better, more sustainable ways of protecting our oceans. Fishing has always been important to Cyprus and we are working to enable and support our fishermen to move to more environmentally friendly practices that will protect our marine heritage for generations to come.”
About the SEALIVE Project
The SEALIVE project (Strategies of circular economy and advanced biobased solutions to keep our lands and seas alive from plastics contamination) is funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 funding programme and will run from 2019 – 2023. The project aims to reduce plastic waste and contamination in our environment by boosting the use of biomaterials and contributing to the circular economy with cohesive bio-plastic strategies.
Original Article: No more haunting by ‘ghost nets’: bio-based and biodegradable nets could be the solution
More from: CORDIS
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Ghost nets
- India's small shopping centres turning into ghost malls
India's small malls are increasingly turning into ghost malls as consumers move towards online purchases and bigger shopping centres for a better experience.
- India's small shopping centres turning into ghost malls, says Knight Frank
India's small malls are increasingly turning into ghost malls as consumers move towards online purchases and bigger shopping centres for a better experience, a consultancy report said on Tuesday.
- San Mateo Co. gun buyback nets nearly 300 firearms, record number of assault rifles
Authorities in San Mateo County on Monday released results from an anonymous gun buyback event over the weekend, nothing that a record number of assault rifles were turned in.
- Anti-crime operation nets 34 arrests in San Bernardino County
Authorities made 34 arrests and seized more than 25 pounds of methamphetamine during a recent anti-crime operation in San Bernardino County, officials announced last week. Operation Consequences took ...
- Australia’s Qantas to pay $79 million to settle ‘ghost flights’ case
Australia’s Qantas Airways agreed to pay A$120 million ($79 million) to settle a regulator lawsuit over the sale of thousands of tickets on already canceled flights, in an attempt to end a ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Ghost nets
[google_news title=”” keyword=”ghost nets” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Biodegradable fishing nets
- Mystic Aquarium welcomes new rescue seal
The seal, which was found alone on the beach, was entangled in a fish net. Mystic Aquarium received the call on Sunday and was able to rescue the baby seal the next day. “Since 2018, we've ...
- Watch: The ghost-busting couple clearing the ocean of abandoned fishing nets
Bia Mattiuzzo, an oceanographer, founded Marulho on the secluded island of Ilha Grande, intending to clear the ocean of discarded fishing nets and upcycle them into bags. Alongside her husband ...
- Crocodile gets caught in charter fishing boat's net
April 16 (UPI) --The captain of a charter fishing boat in Australia "got a little fright" when a net tossed from the vessel ensnared an unexpectedly large catch -- a crocodile. Fairdinkum Fishing ...
- Fishing ban starts; prices skyrocket
The fisheries department could allow deep-sea vessels after checking if the boats are carrying any banned fish nets. Similarly ... are using innovative biodegradable straws to protect lab-grown ...
- China’s fishing fleet is causing havoc off Africa’s coasts
For the next 20 hours, on a typical day, the bleary-eyed crew would be hauling up fishing nets. If sharks got entangled they would hack off their fins, tossing the mutilated creatures back into ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Biodegradable fishing nets
[google_news title=”” keyword=”biodegradable fishing nets” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]