Posts Tagged ‘ghost gear’
How to remove ghost gear?
Ghost gear – lost and abandoned fishing gear drifting at sea – is killing whales and dolphins in the most horrific ways. But we’re taking action to stop it.
Thanks to your incredible support, we funded Ghost Fishing UK to head out into the ocean and pull this deadly gear from UK seas before it harms more wildlife. While we wait to hear the results of their retrieval missions, Dr. Phoebe Hudson is here to share what a day in the life as a volunteer diver with Ghost Fishing UK is really like.
What is ghost gear?
Ghost gear is scary. It’s the name given to fishing nets and ropes that have been lost or abandoned at sea and are not under the control of a fisher anymore. They drift, untethered, silent and often unseen, a deadly menace to whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, seabirds and other marine life.
It’s time to make the UK ghost gear free.
How to untangle a whale
Scottish seas were once a safe haven for whales and dolphins, but today, fishing gear and pollution have turned them into deadly labyrinths. Alongside my role at the WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre, I volunteer to free whales who become entangled. I want to share my experiences with you to show you why we need your help to Restore Scottish Seas.
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Blue whales and the menace of microplastics – how we’ll solve this problem
Our love affair with plastic began in the 1950s when it revolutionised manufacturing. But what happens when you use a material that’s built to last for ever to mass produce products that are designed to be thrown away? Let’s explore. If you’ve seen a blue whale feed, you’ll know that they take enormous gulps…
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The ocean is awash with plastic – can we ever clean it up?
You’ve seen pictures of plastic litter accumulating on beaches or marine wildlife swimming through floating rubbish in some ocean far away and, like me, you’ve probably wondered if and how we could ever clean up this mess. Marine plastic litter is a global environmental plague and a serious threat to marine wildlife. Up to 23…
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To save whales, dolphins and the world, we need a global treaty on plastic pollution
Millions of tonnes of plastic enter the environment every year impacting ecosystems and species. Plastic has been found in the air, rain, our bodies and our food chain. Emissions of plastic waste into our rivers and ocean are projected to nearly triple by 2040. That won’t just mean more beached whales with stomachs full of plastic; the human costs will…
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