ReNet: A Seychelles initiative to reuse discarded fishing gear, a.k.a. ghost gear
The oceans are abound with plastic garbage, and the greatest contributor to the plastic soup is discarded fishing nets and gear. Some projects, like ReNet in Ile du Port in the Seychelles, want to avoid that fishing gear is thrown away and reaches the sea, and collect it directly from vessels, so ti can get another destination. This way they want to raise awareness and find solutions, both for marine life but also for the fishing industry.
While the name Seychelles may sound like paradise on earth, they've had their own share of environmental issues, like destruction of coral reefs, plastic pollution, overfishing, and increased vulnerability to flooding and coastal erosion. As posted on BBC.com, the Seychelles signed a unique deal in 2015: Almost 22 million dollars, a big part of its national debt, was written off, if it would seriously start to protect its oceans (The Nature Conservancy - TNC, bought the debt). After this 'debt for nature swap', the Seychelles has now 30% of its national waters secured into marine protected areas (MPAs), this is a major milestone in ocean conservation.
As blue economy practices are gaining momentum in this island state, projects like ReNet want to contribute in "involving the fisher community, promoting their role as guardians of the marine environment, helping them contribute to protecting their working environment and reducing the problem of abandoned fishing gear at sea."
ReNet also raises awareness on how ghostgear can be recycled. Through social media, they point to an organization called Parley for the Oceans, who partnered with Adidas in 2015 to produce a shoe range made from reclaimed marine plastic waste.
Sources
LinkedIN: ReNet project.
https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/renetproject/
BBC website, The deal that saved seychelles troubled waters.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200803-the-deal-that-saved-seychelles-troubled-waters
EcoMagazine, Circularity of Purse Seine fishing nets in the Seychelles:
AllAfrica.com, Seychelles Looks to Re-Use, Recycle Fishing Nets, Saving Landfill Space.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202108050356.html
Panorama Solutions for a healthy planet: Seychelles' first debt-for-nature swap for ocean conservation.
https://panorama.solutions/en/solution/seychelles-first-debt-nature-swap-ocean-conservation
Picture: jess loiterton on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/boats-and-people-surfing-on-sea-during-sunset-5232247/
An article by Kathelijne Bonne.
Good Climate News is an initiative by the Bonne sisters from Belgium, Elisabeth, Helena and Kathelijne. "We believe in the power of good news".
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