Beating Marine Pollution in Costa Brava

Healthy Seas, together with Ghost Diving Spain, organised a ghost net cleanup from April 25-26th in Costa Brava. We have been working together in the area since 2021, to rid the sea from derelict fishing gear. The cleanup also marked the kick-off activity of our partnership with Hyundai Motor Europe for this year and was supported by company employees who volunteered and joined forces with us.

During the 2-day cleanup, 8 volunteer divers set out from Tossa de Mar to remove a large gill net found 40 minutes from shore, covering a reef within the boundaries of a Marine Protected Area. Although gill nets are typically very light, they are also the deadliest form of marine litter. Many animals, particularly crustaceans, were found entangled and rescued during the operation. Trammel nets, a broken crab pot and many meters of long lines as well as recreational fishing gear, were also removed.

Back on land, the volunteer team cut off the led and ropes and sorted the debris by type. Six volunteers spent 3 hours each working on the net bundles and sorting everything by type of material in order to reuse or recycle them. This is when we realized that our catch was made up of 6 different types of nets all from different sources and lost in the sea at different times. Ghost nets also catch other ghost nets so by removing them, we are preventing more marine litter.

We already know from scientific studies that the sea surrounding Barcelona is one of the three areas in Spain most polluted with plastics from fishing activity and that is why we are continuing our work in the area with regular cleanups, doing our bit to restore the ecosystem and allow biodiversity to thrive.

The event was also made possible thanks to Hyundai Motor Europe that is providing funding for the implementation of Healthy Seas cleanup and education activities around the world since 2021.