Published: Less than 20 min ago
At ten locations around Sweden’s coasts, clean-up operations are to be carried out to collect the fishing gear that has been lost in lakes and seas, the Norwegian Maritime and Water Agency (Hav) states in a press release.
“This will be the largest coordinated effort of its kind in Sweden and affects both the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and Lake Vänern,” writes Charlotta Stadig, investigator at Hav, in a comment.
Authorities, municipalities and professional fishermen must work systematically to remove so-called ghost nets – lost fishing nets and other gear left on the bottom. The tools risk becoming death traps for marine life and litter the environment, according to Hav.
On the west coast, the authority estimates that around 3,000 tins are lost each year.
The efforts will last until the turn of the year and will be financed with EU money via the Swedish Agency for Agriculture and with money from Hav. (TT)