Another Net Down: A New Mission in Spain with the Support of Gamomat

The Mediterranean hides many secrets beneath its surface—some ancient, some man-made, and some that simply don’t belong. Among them are ghost nets: abandoned fishing gear that continues to trap marine life, long after it’s been forgotten. With the support of our partner Gamomat and in collaboration with volunteers divers from Ghost Diving Spain, we recently returned to a protected area along the Spanish coast to continue a complex ghost net removal operation.

The mission focused on a series of biotopes—artificial reef structures designed to help marine ecosystems recover and deter destructive fishing practices. The area is not only an ecological restoration site but also home to a growing lobster population and a rare sunfish cleaning station.

Following a scouting dive to assess the extent of the entangled net and ensure diver safety, our team executed a final intervention to remove a large portion of trawl net deeply embedded in the sand and hooked on the biotopes. Although difficult to measure beforehand, the recovered net ultimately weighed around 350 kg and measured approximately 55 m² in size.

The success of the operation was thanks to the flawless coordination between specialized dive teams: those focused on the removal, those documenting the effort visually, and those overseeing the mission from safer depths to ensure overall safety. While a small fragment of the net remains to be removed in a future dive, this intervention marked a major step toward restoring the area to its natural state.

A Partnership That Keeps Giving Back

Gamomat’s support made this operation possible—just as they did in 2024 when they helped us clean up the historic Perseus shipwreck in Greece. Their ongoing commitment through the Gaming for Good initiative is helping us tackle marine pollution where it’s hardest to see and hardest to reach.

• Revisit the Perseus mission in 2024: Protecting the Seas with Gamomat’s Support
• Learn more about our partner: Gamomat’s Founder Shares Why They Support Healthy Seas

More to Come

This was not a one-time operation. More cleanups in Spain are already in the works for later this year, again with the support of Gamomat. Together, we’re not just removing ghost nets—we’re restoring habitats, protecting marine species, and creating long-term impact.

Stay tuned for updates from below the surface. This story is still unfolding.