What We Do
Supporting local and international communities to protect the ocean and lakes from ghost fishing.
The Network
At GhostNetWork, we are building a network of stakeholders involved in developing and implementing solutions for abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), compiling the best available science, case studies and technologies into a database. By doing so, we foster collaboration to protect the marine environment and provide to partners the knowledge and expertise needed to connect with right stakeholders in order to achieve our common goals and have the greatest impact.
The ultimate goal is to smooth and speed up these interactions through our online platform, The NetWork.
Occassionally, we also realease on our channels educational tools such as articles, videos and podcasts to raise more awareness and understanding around the ALDFG problem. Check out our Learning Hub
ghostnetwork is involved in the following projects as well:
NetBox Project
An example of what can come from the connections made through the NetWork is our NetBox project. It aims to create a net collection scheme in the port of Setúbal, Portugal, for fishers to drop off their end-of-life fishing gear, and any ALDFG they come across, so to facilitate their recycling.
Our NetBoxes, the containters, have been donated by our partner Amarsul and decorated artistically by different pop-up artists so to differentiate from stadards trash bins and make them easier to be recongized by the community. Additioanlly, we have run workshops with local schools and the community to raise awareness, such as art competitions for the children to design the artowrks that inspeire the artists who painted the NetBoxes.
We are currently working with the local port and fisheries authorities, as well as the municipality, to ensure that the containers are properly located in the port area and the nets collected. Once the contatiners are full to their capacity, our other partner Ambiberica would be the one taking care of sorting and recycling. But in the meantime we are looking for other recycler and companies that are interested in giving new life to ghost fishing gear.
The NetBox Project is a pilot initiatves that shows how our network of recylcer, non-profit organizations, and even artists can realize something good and impactful for the ocean and the local communities. Ultimately, our goal would be to expand and realize the same scheme in different ports around Portugal, to generate even a greater impact along the whole Portuguese coastline.
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LOCAL SCHOOLS INVOLVED
The Lake Victoria Clean-Up
Community Lead Management of End- of- Life and Abandoned, Lost or Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) in Lake Victoria, Kampala, Uganda.
We are excited to be supporting the Uganda Junior Rangers as partners on their ghost gear project, The Lake Victoria Clean Up. The project has a holistic approach, by addressing the source of the problem and engaging the community in environmental stewardship.
The Uganda Junior Rangers are working with the fishing community in Kampala to create awareness of the negative impacts ADLFG are having on their environment and livelihoods, while running multiple clean ups along the coast and below the surface of the lake.
We are helping with providing equipment for clean ups, improving data collection, writing documentation, and ultimately designing a reycle scheme together with TMC and Brainbow that will efficiently help the local communitieis to collect, sort, recycle, and trasnform in useful product and tools the ADLFG dispersed in the area of Lake Victoria.
Check out more at
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lake-victoria-clean-up/
If you want to contribute to our projects reach out to us or donate
E-mail: [email protected]