GhostNets program - The Italian response by Marevivo

Ghost nets, or “ghost fishing gear”, are fishing and aquaculture nets abandoned, lost, or discarded in the sea (ALDFG = Abandoned, Lost, or Discarded Fishing Gear). Once in the water, they do not become inert trash, but they continue to “fish” passively.

Drifting with currents, or settling on the seabed, they can trap fish, turtles, marine mammals, seabirds, and other organisms, often killing them slowly by entanglement, starvation, or injuries. Ghost nets can also damage vulnerable habitats, such as seagrass meadows, coralligenous and oyster reefs, threatening sea bed biodiversity. Being typically made of synthetic materials, they degrade extremely slowly, sometimes over decades or even centuries, releasing micro- and nano-plastics that can ultimately enter the food chain. Because of their persistent and harmful nature, ghost nets are considered one of the most insidious forms of marine pollution. 

The GhostNets project

To address this, Marevivo, an Italian NGO dedicated to marine conservation and sustainable management and development, launched the GhostNets project in collaboration with ISPRA, CoNISMa, and other scientific partners. As part of the national Marine Ecosystem Restoration plan, this initiative aims to restore 20 coastal and marine areas across Italy by removing ghost nets. It combines high-tech mapping tools (multibeam sonar, side-scan, ROVs), specialised technical dives, and careful net recovery, even at depths exceeding 40 meters.

Once retrieved, nets are examined by marine biologists to free any trapped organisms and then responsibly recycled or disposed of. Some materials are also tested through innovative experimental recycling methods, such as “Green Plasma” pyrolysis, which converts plastic waste into usable energy, reducing landfill disposal and giving new value to material that would otherwise pollute the seas. 

Promising results were achieved with the first operations in 2025, with 3 tonnes of ghost nets removed and over 52,000 m² of seabed restored in Sicilian waters alone, roughly equivalent to 7 football fields.

Earlier surveys recovered over 30 nets, some of them up to 260 meters long, from depths of 40–60 meters, freeing many marine organisms trapped for long periods.

By retrieving abandoned fishing gear, promoting recycling, and restoring marine habitats, the GhostNets program directly supports key goals of the Global Plastics Pollution Treaty, providing a practical model for addressing ALDFG.

Italy’s initiative demonstrates how coordinated action, through mapping, recovery, recycling, and habitat restoration, can begin to reverse the persistent damages caused by abandoned fishing gear, offering a concrete example of how seas can be defended, cleaned, and regenerated.

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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk

Images:

Turtle entangled Net - Wix Media

Sea Turtle swimming - Wix Media