"Every abandoned net and trap is a serious threat to the entire marine ecosystem": these strong and direct words were the starting point for the Fishing for the Planet meeting held yesterday morning at the Lega Navale in Cagliari. This roundtable was conceived and organized by ASD Blue Life with the support and patronage of local institutions and numerous partners. The meeting was designed to raise public awareness and stimulate debate on one of the most serious and underestimated phenomena affecting the seas: ghost nets, the abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing nets that continue to silently claim victims in marine ecosystems.

The problem is global. According to the WWF Ghost Gear Report, between 500,000 and one million tons of ghost fishing gear end up in the oceans every year. Made primarily of synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyethylene, these nets are extremely durable and can remain active for decades, becoming veritable "invisible traps" that capture not only fish, but also sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, mammals, and seabirds, worsening the plight of many species already at risk of extinction. Their impact is devastating: in addition to causing suffocation, injuries, and drowning, they significantly contribute to the global plastic crisis. It's enough to consider that 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is made up of abandoned fishing nets.

The meeting was attended by numerous speakers from the institutional, academic, and community sectors, including Simone Mingoia, president of ASD Blue Life, and Salvatore Sanna, deputy mayor of Quartu Sant'Elena. The City of Cagliari presented its contribution to the event, with contributions from Environment Councilor Luisa Giua Marassi. Speaking on the operational front were Fabio Previti, commander of the Cagliari Carabinieri Divers Unit, and Gianni Dessì, commander of the Coast Guard's 4th Underwater Operators Unit. The research community was represented by Alessandro Cau of the University of Cagliari. Marina Campolmi of the Fisheries Service represented the Autonomous Region of Sardinia. Rounding out the presentations were contributions from Giovanni Baldereschi, president of FIPSAS Sardegna, and Sandro Curcio, president of the Isola Rossa Cooperative.

"The Fishing for the Planet project was born in 2021, during a fishing championship. Initially, we focused on mapping and research, then the initiative evolved into a full-blown collection of abandoned pots and nets, thanks to the collaboration of organizations such as the Region, the Municipalities of Cagliari and Quartu, the Harbour Master's Office, the Carabinieri, the Italian Navy, the Isola Rossa fishermen, the FIPSAS Federation, and many volunteers," Mingoia explained. "On June 18, we recovered around 600 pots, with the help of the Isola Rossa fishermen and Fabio Previti. A fifth of these were still inhabited by octopuses and moray eels: hence the collaboration with the University of Cagliari. The operation surprised us with its scale: we filled a fishing boat and were forced to stop, not having imagined such a high number. We're talking about gear made of highly resistant plastic: we estimate there are at least 5,000 traps to be recovered, which will need to be counted, registered, and dated, and their impact analyzed together with Professor Cau of the University of Cagliari."

(Unioneonline)

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