The last planned project for 2024 has now concluded with a successful two day project based out of Swanage. Ghost Fishing UK have not been to Swanage for quite some time, so this was a nice welcome return to the area, specifically to deal with a report of net on the Betsy Anna and of lost rope near the pier.
Despite the cold and dark conditions, divers successfully recovered material from the Betsy Anna on Saturday, and then looked for the ropes reported near the pier, as well as undertaking a general clean up dive under the pier. To the divers surprise, a huge gill net and mass of rope was floating under the pier, which sadly had already claimed the life of one fish. Working together, a team of divers successfully cut the net and rope free, bagged it and recovered it to the surface.
Combining this with the other material recovered that day, including several pots, this was a successful day for Ghost Fishing UK, in particular removing the gill net under Swanage Pier which was a large hazard to both the abundant marine life under the pier, as well as the huge numbers of recreational divers who visit the pier for leisure and training.
On day two, divers visited the Firth Fisher due to a report about a large number of pots located on it. A successful survey and recovery lead to eight pots being recovered. These pots will be returned to the fishing community where possible, or broken down for materials and recycled if they are in too poor condition.
Overall, this was a successful trip for Ghost Fishing UK. With this being the last planned trip for 2024, this was a lovely way to round out the season. However, the work is far from over with training courses, talks and of course any short notice dives all still to come before the year is out!