Marine animals benefit from Ghost Net programme

A programme designed to engage Indigenous people within the Gulf of Carpenteria is assisting in saving endangered marine animals from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and avoiding damage to vessels.

The Carpentaria Ghost Net Programme is an initiative of the Northern Gulf Resource Management Group in conjunction with local Indigenous sea rangers.

The Gulf of Carpenteria is one of the most isolated and remote regions of Australia, home to only small Indigenous communities and some mining operations, yet it is this region that is most exposed to the serious effects of Ghost Nets.

Ghosts Nets are defined by the Gulf Resource Management Group as “fishing nets that have been lost accidentally, deliberately discarded or simply abandoned at sea.”

The sea currents experienced in the Gulf make it a prime location for these nets to end up. Both the monsoon season (November to March) and the South-East trade winds (May to September) wash the nets into the Gulf from Asia, creating a significant threat to marine animals.

These nets have the ability to impact on both the environment and human activities. Animals such as turtles can be caught in the nets, and they pose a risk to vessels as the netting is easily caught in propellers and rudders.

As they originate from different regions of South-East Asia, the nets can vary in size from a few metres to numerous kilometres in length.

In order to combat the problem, Indigenous sea rangers from across the Gulf are assisting in the monitoring and removal of these Ghost Nets. The role of the rangers is to clear existing nets and gain data to assist in preventing future discards.

The programme is also building skills and knowledge amongst sea rangers to enable them to continue to tackle the problem long into the future.

For the animals of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, including turtles and dugongs, the benefits are ongoing. Reduction in the number of ghost nets will continue to lessen the chances of these animals being caught and injured unnecessarily.

For more information on the Carpentaria Ghost Net Programme, visit www.ghostnets.com.au.