A UK North East marine technology company has joined forces with a regional environmental charity to tackle the growing problem of ghost fishing gear littering the seabed off the region’s coastline.
Succorfish has donated £10,000’s worth of its innovative MyGearTag tracking technology to Clean Planet UK, a Middlesbrough-based charity whose volunteer divers recover lost fishing nets, pots and traps from coastal waters between Seaham and Skinningrove.
“The extent of ghost gear on our seabed was very obvious when I first began diving in the area and our efforts to clean as much of it up as we can bring benefits for everyone involved,” said Stephen Smith, founder of Clean Planet UK.
The state-of-the-art underwater acoustic device allows lost fishing equipment to be located over distances of up to three kilometres. Designed with a waterproof casing made from recycled fishing nets, the compact tracker emits a signal that can be detected using an app-based directional tool, helping users pinpoint missing gear quickly and accurately.
The technology will allow Clean Planet UK to mark ghost gear that cannot immediately be recovered, ensuring divers can relocate it during future operations while also gathering valuable data on how lost equipment moves along the seabed.
“Having the MyGearTag location devices that we can fit to what we leave behind will make it easier to find it all again on our next trip and will make a massive difference to the amount of ghost gear we’re able to remove,” said Smith.
Clean Planet UK, which was established after Smith discovered large quantities of abandoned fishing gear while diving near Redcar, now operates a dedicated vessel and works around more than 100 wreck sites off the North East coast.
Chad Hooper, founder and chief executive of Succorfish, said the partnership would help protect marine habitats while supporting the fishing industry.
“MyGearTag allows for lost fishing nets, pots and traps to be quickly located over a wide area,” he said. “The equipment we’ve provided will enable the Clean Planet team to make even more of a difference to the marine environment off this part of the North East coast.”
