How We’re Tackling Ghost Nets and Plastic Marine Debris at Islas Secas
R emoving ghost nets from our fragile ecosystem is all in a day’s work for Ben Harris. The Director and Lead Diver of Panama Ghost Net (PGN), a nonprofit working to remove discarded fishing gear from reefs across Panama’s Pacific coast, and his team work to remove this damaging form of marine debris, supporting Islas Secas’s wider stewardship mission. Originally from England, Ben lives locally and has been diving in the Gulf of Chiriquí for 17 years, working with the resort for three years.
Ben, tell us about your work with PGN?
I founded PGN around three years ago after years of removing fishing lines and nets whenever I came across them underwater. As Director and Lead Diver, I now work with a team to remove ghost gear from reefs, including around Islas Secas. They’ve been amazing with their support and encouragement.
What drew you to this work?
I have been working as a diver since I was 17, and have fallen more in love with the ocean every year. We protect what we love, especially the creatures that cannot protect themselves. For me, that means all marine life: turtles, whales, dolphins, sharks, but also the delicate corals that all need our help right now.
Why are ghost nets so dangerous?
Discarded fishing gear keeps fishing long after it has been lost or abandoned. Lines can be miles long, often with sharp, baited hooks attached, attracting animals and causing all kinds of marine life to die pointlessly. Nets can drift onto reefs, trap marine life, and tear through coral that has taken decades to grow, building weight and force as they go and leaving clear barren paths of destruction where they have been. And because much of this gear is plastic, it does not break down.
How big is the problem?
Globally, ghost gear is considered one of the most harmful forms of marine plastic debris, making up about 10% of marine plastic debris. An estimated 6% of fishing nets and 29% of fishing lines end up lost or abandoned each year, and a single abandoned net kills on average 500,000 marine invertebrates, 1,700 fish, and four seabirds. In some destinations, studies have identified that over 90% of the species caught in ghost gear are commercially valuable, impacting the sustainability and profits of fisheries.
What happened during your recent cleanup?
It was a big success! We inspected and cleaned three coastal locations, which gave us the opportunity to speak with the locals and show them the problem first-hand. We then spent eight days Islas Secas, removing some large nets and preventing fairly imminent damage to the beautiful section of reef close to Casa Cavada.
How can guests get involved?
We’re introducing the PADI “Distinctive Specialty Ghost Gear Removal Diver” course. Only a handful of instructors in the world teach this course, so it’s an amazing opportunity for interested divers. Really, one of the best things Islas Secas guests can do to help is create awareness of this problem. The more voices, the more chance of change.
What’s next?
We have big plans and ideas for future projects in different areas, involving training locals to become divers, join us and create awareness in their coastal communities. We are also planning to create artificial reefs made from recycled materials, and underwater “Ghostbusters”, using data to catch nets before they do any harm.
