We are pleased to invite you to participate to an event about the threat of ‘ghost fishing’ organized by the environmental conservation organization Healthy Seas in collaboration with the Management Body of Aenos National Park.
Underwater photos and videos about Healthy Seas diving activities to shipwrecks and reefs in the Mediterranean and the North Seas or the Pacific Ocean should raise the awareness of exhibition visitors and promote their involvement concerning the threat of ‘ghost fishing’.
In addition, an imposing visual art installation has been created in collaboration with the visual artist Micheline Divaris – Lambert, the final touch of which will be given during the event in an attempt to face the problem of ghost fishing in an artistic way!
Painter Marina Stellatou will implement an educational fun activity for the little visitors wearing their diving masks in an attempt to make them imitate heroic volunteer divers who release marine animals accidentally entangled in fishing nets, in a safer and healthier sea.
Ghost fishing gear represents a global threat to the marine environment. According to FAO report, it is estimated that 640,000 tons of fishing gear are lost or abandoned in the seas and oceans every year, consequences of which include millions of trapped marine animals that get injured or die, significant loss catches and the degradation of marine environment due to plastic pollution.
Healthy Seas is an international institution headquartered in the Netherlands. Since 2013, it pulls out nets from the seabed in collaboration with volunteers, including divers, fishermen and fish farmers. Τhe collected plastic waste gets then transformed into high quality nylon Econyl ® and used in clothing, carpets, etc, according to the circular economy model. To date there have been collected and recycled 510 tons of nets which would otherwise end up in landfills or remain at the seabed and likely continue to lethally impact marine life.