Common misconceptions about Ghost Fishing…
1) Gear is discarded intentionally.
•Fishing gear is expensive, and fishermen generally do not want to lose it. While in some places, illegal fishing can involve dumping gear to avoid detection, most gear becomes “ghost gear” through accidental or unintentional loss.
2) Lost gear becomes harmless quickly.
• Modern fishing gear is made from durable plastic materials and synthetic nets that can persist in the ocean for hundreds of years. It does not biodegrade rapidly; instead, it slowly breaks down into microplastics.
3) The impact is minimal.
•Abandoned gear continues to function, creating a “cycle of devastation” where it catches and kills marine life. This includes fish, dolphins, turtles, and seals. More animals are then attracted, that also get trapped.
4) Ghost gear is just floating nets.
• Ghost gear consists of various types of equipment, including fishing lines, ropes, traps, and pots, that can sink and devastate reefs and benthic (seabed) habitats.
The wait is over! 🤩
It’s finally time to answer your questions. We provide many opportunities to volunteer and welcome everyone to get involved.
Check out the links in our ‘Volunteer’ highlight to sign up! ⛴️🤘
Brighton roundup!
He’s a behind the scenes look at the work we did on our most recent project in Brighton 😎
Want to dive into the action?
Fill out our form in the ‘Volunteer’ highlight to get involved!
We’ve got loads more projects coming up! 🤩
#ghostfishing #ghostgear #diving #marineconservation
Some snapshots from our most recent project in Brighton! ⛴️
This was a 3 day project and proved to be very productive with a large variety of nets, pots and creeks being removed from the sea.
We’ve got a lot more in store for you, so keep your eyes peeled for more information! 🤩
#ghostfishing #ghostgear #diving #brighton #marineconservation
We’re going to the Glasgow Science Festival! 👩🔬
Join us at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens from the 4-14th of June to learn about all things GFUK @glascifest
Book tickets at /events/sciencefestival/gsf2026/cheers/programme/allevents/botanics/
We can’t wait to see you there! 🤩
#GlaSciFest #ghostfishing #ghostgear #marineconservation
Today, we celebrate 100 years of Sir David Attenborough. He has guided and taught us for decades. At GFUK, we follow this guidance to do our best for the ocean and for the planet.
The world would not be what it is today without him and we are so very grateful for what he has done for our world.
#davidattenborough #ourplanet #ghostfishing #marineconservation
Dive beneath the surface of our project at Dunoon and Loch Fyne this April, with a few of our favourite moments!
Let’s all give a round of applause to our incredible team!! They always blow us out of the water with their hard work and passion 🤩💪
#ghostfishing #ghostgear #ghostnet #diving #marineconservation
At he end of April we ran a project at Dunoon and Loch Fyne, removing ghost gear from the waters.
It was hard work and lots of fun! A very rewarding trip all-round. We removed pots, nets and creels and saved many little critters along the way!
We’re looking forward to our upcoming projects and training programmes soon!
We hope to see you there!
#ghostgear #ghostfishing #diving #ghostnet #marineconservation
When we’re on a project and out on the water, we often don’t have service…
Right now we’re running a project in Dunoon, removing ghost gear from its waters. It’s safe to say we’re up to our gills!
But we wouldn’t have it any other way 🤩
#ghostgear #ghostfishing #diving #ghostnet #marineconservation
Removing ghost gear makes us feel the most alive we’ve ever been!
It’s always a risk when we dive, as the conditions can be very dangerous… Low vis, floating nets, great depths etc.
But the reward is always worth it!! 🤩🙌
#ghostgear #ghostfishing #diving #ghostnet #marineconservation
People always ask us, does what you’re doing really make a difference? One group isn’t going to stop the ghost fishing issue.
True. But we say, even just removing one net makes a huge difference. If we all waited around for others to fix our problems, nothing would ever change.
Doing something is always better than doing nothing.
#ghostgear #ghostfishing #diving #ghostnet #marineconservation
