One of the most important elements threatening the marine ecosystem in the Black Sea, “ghost nets” cause the death of thousands of marine creatures every year. These nets, which sink to the seabed after breaking or being abandoned during fishing activities, continue to actively fish for years. These nets, which can stretch for kilometers, covering large areas with their fine-meshed structures, cause chemical pollution as they sink to the seabed, while also trapping many creatures, especially fish, crustaceans, marine mammals, and birds, as they drift on the water surface. Under the leadership of Karadeniz Technical University, a comprehensive project is being carried out for the detection, mapping, and cleaning of ghost nets underwater. In operations conducted with underwater drones and diver teams, over 10,000 materials have been identified so far. Approximately 2 tons of waste have been removed from the sea, and according to studies, it has been determined that over a thousand kilometers of nets are discarded into the deep waters of the Black Sea each year.
“Ghost nets constitute approximately 10 to 20 percent of the plastic-based waste found in the sea.”
Providing information about the ghost net studies conducted in the Black Sea, Prof. Dr. Coşkun Erüz, a Faculty Member at Karadeniz Technical University (KTÜ) Faculty of Marine Sciences, stated that scientific studies show ghost nets continue to actively fish in the sea for approximately 4 to 20 years, saying: “We call nets and other fishing equipment that were used to fish in the seas but were somehow abandoned, lost, or broken and lost, moving beyond their fishing purpose, ‘ghost nets’. Ghost nets constitute approximately 10 to 20 percent of the plastic-based waste found in the sea. Considering that 8 million tons of plastic-based waste enter the sea annually, 10 percent of this is 800,000 tons, and 20 percent is a very large amount like 1 million 600,000 tons. Because these nets are not a single mass like other plastics and materials, but a fine-meshed structure spread over a wide area, they can reach kilometers in length, drifting freely in the sea like a ghost, continuing to catch. Or, by sinking to the seabed, they cause chemical pollution as lead and similar materials. Most importantly, scientific studies on ghost nets have determined that they continue to actively fish in the sea for approximately 4 to 20 years. The catch made by ghost nets does not contribute to the economy in any way. It harms ecology and biodiversity. It is a group of waste that harms all crustaceans, mollusks, creatures in the sea like whales, dolphins, sharks, mammals, seabirds, and even other animals when it comes to the shores. Because it constantly drifts in the sea, it continuously changes location. We call a system that continues to catch and kill in unknown areas in different regions a ‘ghost net’. We call the fishing it does ‘ghost fishing’. A system and rule-breaking fishing activity is occurring.”
“Over a thousand kilometers of nets are abandoned in the Black Sea each year.”
Noting that around 10,000 materials were detected in the Black Sea and over 2,000 kilograms of material were removed, Erüz said, “The identification of what the ghost net materials are on the seabed and shores has been completed.
He stated, “Documentation was done regarding the mapping of the points where they were found in excess.”
“Subsequently, studies were conducted in these areas through divers,” said Erüz, speaking as follows: “Underwater drones were also used in the project. So far, we have removed around 2 tons of waste. You remove the nets piece by piece. Because they are so widespread, they need to be removed from the seabed and rocks. To date, approximately 10,000 materials have been identified. Over 2,000 kilograms of material have been removed. One net weighs 3-5 kilograms but its length is 100 meters, and its depth reaches 4-5 meters. It covers an area of 500 square meters. We can say that over a thousand kilometers of nets are lost in the Black Sea every year. These become ghost nets. In Turkey, there are studies for recycling in this sense, but it is not sufficient. Our goal is to develop these studies through inter-institutional cooperation and take measures to prevent the loss of ghost nets as much as possible. In Trabzon, our priority areas are the partially protected rocky area around the Sürmene fishermen, the underwater islands off Of, and areas like the whiting islands located five miles off the coast between Akçaabat and Yoroz; we plan to clean these with underwater vehicles. Every year, over a thousand kilometers of nets are abandoned in the Black Sea.”
