THE PROBLEM
Ghost gear
Ghost gear, also known as ALDFG (abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear),
is any type of fishing gear that's been left behind by fishing boats - accidentally or deliberately.
Ghost fishing happens when these fishing nets, lines, pots, etc. are let loose
in the ocean and continue to do their job without an owner.
Why is that a problem?
It kills marine lifeGhost gear is one of the biggest threats to marine life around the globe. Each year, hundreds of thousands of marine animals, including turtles and sharks fall victim to this silent killer. |
It fuels the plastic crisisThe majority of fishing equipment consists of plastics, which take decades to break down. Ghost nets contribute to the pollution of our ocean and make up almost half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. |
It spoils tourismDiscarded fishing gear pollutes beaches, snorkel spots, and dive sites around the world. This leads to additional costs for clean-up activities and can result in big losses for tourism. |
Working towards a
clean and healthy ocean in Myanmar
WHAT WE DO
Community engagement
We love to meet local communities and learn more about how the health of marine resources affects their lives and livelihoods. We offer trainings in sustainable marine tourism to anyone who is interested.
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Survey and clean-up expeditions
Each year, hundreds of thousands of marine animals are injured or killed by ghost gear.
We organize survey dives and clean-up missions to safely remove fishing nets from marine environments. |
Awareness raising
Not everyone knows about the threats to our ocean so we make it our priority to work with community leaders, fishermen, students, and tourism agencies to help locals keep the marine ecosystem clean and healthy.
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What we have achieved so far
PROGRESS REPORT
1,821 kg of ghost gear retrieved
We have safely removed over 1,800 kg of harmful ghost nets from sites across the Myeik Archipelago.
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89 sites surveyed and cleaned
We have surveyed, marked, and systematically cleaned almost 90 marine habitats this season.
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133 dives completed
Our team of experienced divers completed over 130 dives in our first year of survey and clean-up expeditions.
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6 expeditions concluded
Throughout our first year of operation, we have completed six expeditions to identify ghost net hotspots in Myanmar.
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25 dive and snorkel guides trained
We completed our Sustainable Snorkeling Guide training with 25 current and future tour guides.
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250 people directly engaged
We reached over 250 people in local communities with our trainings, presentations, and clean-ups.
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UPDATES
What we're currently up to
SOCIAL
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