Ghost Net Hunters Work Commenced in Gökova SEPA
11.03.2013
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Ghost nets that make a passive fishing pressure on the marine ecosystem, will be removed from the marine habitats in Gökova SEPA within the Ghost Net Hunters Work that will be carried out by the partnership of Gökova Sailing Club and Mediterranean Conservation Society.
Ghost net is a term that is used for the fishing gears left at the sea bottom accidentally or intentionally. They have at least as much pressure as overfishing, on the marine ecosystem. Many scientific studies show that ghost nets does not dissolve in nature and carry on passive fishing under the water. Passive fishing endures for between 2 and 8 years, depending on the material of the net, depth of the location where the net left, geographical structure of the sea bed and hydrodynamic factors.
Ghost Net Hunters Work developed by the perspective of finding a solution to ghost nets in Gökova SEPA, by the partnership of Gökova Sailing Club and Mediterranean Conservation Society and supported by GEF Small Grant Project (SGP) – COMDEKS and Strengthening the System of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas of Turkey Project. During the kick-off meeting in Ankara on 1 March 2013, work leader shared the information about the management and technical issues of the work and also stated the aim of the work as decreasing the fishing pressure on the marine ecosystem by removing the ghost nets from the marine habitats.
Informing the fishermen and raisingawareness about the ghost nets, removing the nets from marine habitats and establishing a communication and data network are the aims of the work beside the main target which is cleaning the abandoned fishing gears that have a negative affect on ecosystem restoration at the No Fishing Zones of Gökova SEPA. Fishermen are determined as the prior stakeholder of the project and as the effector and the dependent group they will involve to the work to have a major role for the cleaning events and sustainable conservation.