One-ton ghost net removed from Maldivian reef

A team from JOALI Maldives, a luxury resort located in R. Atoll, has removed a gigantic ghost net from a reef near the resort.

According to the Oliver Ridley Project, an international mission to protect sea turtles and their habitats, the ghost net removed by the team from JOALI on Friday is estimated to weigh over a ton.

ORP commended the team from JOALI.

According to ORP, the team spent over seven hours freeing the net from the shallow reef, swimming it to deeper waters and then towing it back to their resort where it could be finally removed from the water.

Even after all of that, the team took the time to collect samples and vital data on the net, which ORP said will contribute towards the fight against ghost gear.

Ghost nets are fishing nets that's been lost or abandoned in the ocean. The nets continue to trap everything in their path, presenting a major problem for the health of oceans and marine life.

The nets don’t only catch fish; they also entangle sea turtles, dolphins and porpoises, birds, sharks, seals, and more. They also harm coral reefs —breaking corals, exposing them to disease, and even blocking the reefs from needed sunlight. They are also a major contributor to the ocean plastics crisis.

ORP asked people who find ghost nets to report it to them.