#MoneyforOldRope sounds alarm over pollution from fishing tackle
‘Ghost gear’ is an overlooked problem, but the most abundant source of microplastics in our seas.
Now Cornwall-based social enterprise Waterhaul is a launching a campaign to raise awareness of the problem, while working towards transforming waste fishing equipment into sustainable products. For example, sunglasses and litter-picking kit.
Around 640,000 tonnes of lost or discarded ‘ghost gear’ ends up in the world’s seas each year. This compares to the plastic waste produced by 1.4trillion cotton buds. Much of this can wash up on shore, or harm ocean life while in the water.
In August this year, Waterhaul retrieved a 145kg fishing net during an expedition in Cornwall – the same weight as an upright piano or baby African elephant. Meanwhile, in September 2023 an operation helped save a humpback whale ‘carrying’ two large orange buoys, a small yellow buoy, and a large quantity of 20mm nylon cable.
A new initiative, Money For Old Rope, has now begun, offering people the chance to earn a £20 voucher for every ‘ghost gear’ haul from organised beach clean ups. Full details of how to participate can be found here.
‘It gives us hope to see a drop in plastic waste across UK beaches — due to bans on single-use plastic and the long-term positive impact of the plastic bag charge — but not enough is being done to address the impact of ghost gear along our coast,’ said Harry Dennis, Marine Scientist & founder of Waterhaul. ‘As a major culprit responsible for the purposeless death of marine life, it’s a fatally serious source of plastic pollution in our seas and along our coast.
‘Ghost gear has been a hidden issue for far too long as thousands of tonnes of discarded fishing gear continue to trap and entangle marine life,’ he continued. ‘Fortunately, the properties that make ghost gear so difficult to deal with — its abundance, strength and durability — make it a brilliant resource to repurpose into something new.’
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Image: Waterhaul