We may not be as famous as the Ghostbusters, but here at the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) we are diligent about protecting Australia’s marine environment by busting ghosts of a different kind – ghost nets!
Together with Australian Royal Navy vessel HMAS Glenelg and Maritime Border Command, AFMA last week located and retrieved an abandoned gillnet near Kerr Reef, off the coast of Weipa, Queensland.
A ghost net retrieved near Kerr Reef, off the coast of Weipa, Queensland
Navy officers spent eight hours manually recovering approximately 500 kilograms of intertwined ghost net caught on rocks in 10 metres of water. No protected marine life were entangled in the net this time, but some small crabs and shellfish were returned alive into the water.
AFMA’s General Manager of Operations, Peter Venslovas, said that ghost nets are, unfortunately, a regular occurrence in Australia’s northern waters after drifting in from foreign fishing operations further north.
“These nets are typically abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded by fishing boats out at sea, and pose a serious risk to the marine environment and marine life including fish, dolphins, and sea turtles,” Mr Venslovas said.
“To help highlight the issue of ghost nets, AFMA commissioned four Indigenous artists to upcycle retrieved ghost nets and turn them into works of art.
“The artworks already created not only look incredible, but also help to raise public awareness about the impacts of ghost nets on Australia’s marine environment.”
One Indigenous group, the Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts Aboriginal Corporation has already created a ghost net work of art in the form of turtle, which is currently on display in AFMA’s Darwin Office. Another Indigenous artist, Solomon Charlie from Erub Arts in the Torres Strait, has also created a piece ghost net art – a crayfish! This artwork will find its home in AFMA’s Thursday Island office. Find out more about the crayfish artwork here.
Stay tuned for more news on the turtle ghost net artwork and other pieces coming out soon on AFMA news and our Facebook page.
If you or someone you know have sighted a ghost net in Australian waters, please contact Australian Border Force’s Border Watch on 1800 009 623.
More information on Australia’s fisheries management can be found at afma.gov.au.
500 kilograms of abandoned gillnet retrieved from Australian waters