Partnership launches program to recover used fishing gear in Maldives waters

Spanish technology company Satlink has partnered with non-profit organisations the Olive Ridley Project (ORP) and the International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF) to establish a program for the removal and reuse of abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing nets and other fishing gear (ALDFG) in the Maldives.

Both the ORP and the IPNLF have ties to the coastal communities of Noonu Atoll, where the project will be developed together with local stakeholders. Satlink said this area is home to ecosystems of high biological and social value such as coral reefs and turtle nesting sites.

ALDFG can be especially damaging to marine species through “ghost fishing” and to sensitive reef environments through direct impacts when these abandoned fishing gear drift ashore. In this context, the collaboration aims to build the capacity of local coastal communities to reduce the impacts of ALDFG in a sustainable and long-lasting way.

The project aims to set the stage for similar initiatives on other islands in the Maldives and continue beyond its current two-year scope.

The initiative also includes the use of removed nets in pre-existing circular economy initiatives, whether for reuse or recycling, through the artisanal industry, small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs), and/or local artists.

For this purpose, fishermen, scientists, and other local stakeholders in Noonu Atoll will undertake training workshops on various subjects, including the impact of ghost nets, ALDFG collection protocols, reuse opportunities and safe release techniques for sea turtles entangled in these nets. In addition, local scientists and biologists will collect and analyse information on the nature of drifting ghost gear in the Noonu Atoll area.

Satlink said these activities will serve to both raise environmental awareness and build capacity for dealing with ghost gear in the involved communities.