World Animal Protection UK has opened nominations for its Sea Change Champion Award 2016 recognising the best practice in tackling ghost fishing gear.
Individuals and groups which are championing sustainable fishing and activities to reduce the impact of lost or damaged fishing gear on the marine environment will be showcased.
Christina Dixon, Sea Change UK campaign manager, said: “Everyday people in the fishing community strive to find new ways to minimise their local impact on the ocean.”
She added: “We want to hear more of these great examples especially around responsible gear management, end of life gear recycling, ghost gear removal, gear modification and education projects in these areas.”
Last year’s winner was Swansea-based fisherman Nigel Saunders. His low-tech pot modification project reduced the impact of lost pots on the marine environmental to prevent shellfish and other non-target species from being unnecessarily caught if lost.
Mr Saunders also championed sustainable solutions to other local fishermen and worked hard to secure funding for other innovation projects.
He explained: “My boat, Danny Buoy, is named in memory of my son, Daniel, and fishing is my life.”
“I want there to be a future for fishing and I want to be part of it. I don’t want to spend years annihilating the environment and move onto something else.”
An estimated 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear are abandoned, lost or discarded in oceans globally each year.
In 2015 World Animal Protection launched the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), the world’s first multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to tackling this problem at scale.
Sea Change and GGGI are dedicated to preventing ghost fishing litter from entering UK waters and protecting thousands of British species currently affected.
Nominations for the UK’s Sea Change Champion are now open until 15 May 2016 and should be submitted to Christina Dixon at World Animal Protection UK.
