01 stycznia 2020

THE SILENT KILLERS IN THE BALTIC SEA


In the past, fishing nets abandoned in the water degraded into sediment on the ocean floor and disappeared, but since the ’50s when nets were initially produced from synthetic materials, they have remained drifting around the Baltic Sea for decades, where they continue to catch fish and other marine animals. Ghost nets are recognised worldwide as a source of marine litter with extensive hazardous effects on the marine ecosystem. From 5.500 to 10.000 gillnets and trawl nets are lost every year.

 

  • Could the Baltic be freed from the ghost nets?
  • How many animals do nets kill every year?
  • Are the people being poisoned by the microplastic?


The WWF Foundation's documentary "The Ghost of the Baltic Sea" answers these questions.
We meet a fisherman, Władek, who has been fishing for over 40 years, and as he admits, did not know how big of a problem the ghost nets are. He gets help from a group of divers, who risk their life patiently trying to remove tangled nets from shipwrecks. Marta and Sylwia, a WWF’s environmentalist watch over the project, take a closer look at how the marine environment is affected by this and are looking for a systemic solution to the problem and to find a sustainable way to approach derelict fishing gear in the Baltic Sea.