Ghost nets on exhibition at the mermaid show in VGP Marine Kingdom
CHENNAI: A soft breeze and the sound of waves crashing fill the air on the Alambarai shore in Chengalpattu district as G Govindan and his group gets ready to set out into sea in the pitch-dark, on trips that could last hours. As they look for the day’s catch that would fetch them enough to feed their families, they also keep an eye out for the deadly ghost nets, left adrift by fishers before them.
Ghost nets are fishing nets and gear that are discarded at sea which cause great harm to the marine life and ecosystem. Govindan is part of a group of 36 fishermen from Chennai, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram districts who are given an alternate source of income as part of a novel project by city-based TREE Foundation with the support of HCL Foundation. For every kilogram of ghost net retrieved, Rs 5 will be directly transferred to the fisherfolk’s bank accounts. The project was launched on July 1 this year, and since then, the 38-year-old has retrieved a whopping 5,000 kg of discarded fishing gear which is otherwise a menace in the sea.
On average, Govindan earns about Rs 8,000 per month through regular fishing. “So far, our group has retrieved 12,000 kg of ghost nets. I personally have benefited by receiving Rs 20,000 so far which has come in handy to pay my daughter’s school fee which is Rs 30,000 per annum,” said Govindan.
Speaking about the process in finding ghost nets, Govindan said he travels up to 25 nautical miles into the sea during the wee hours, identifies a fishing spot, and casts his nets to catch some fish. The two-hour wait to catch fish is when the group looks for any ghost nets.
“I don’t exclusively venture into the sea to retrieve them. Earlier, we never used to care about them, but now that there is an incentive available and we are made aware of the dangers, we do this,” Govindan added. TA Pugalarasan, another fisherman from Periya Neelankarai in Chennai who is also part of the initiative, said more than money it is a service they are doing to protect marine ecosystem on which their survival is dependant.
Survey underway
To get a better idea of the extent of damage, TREE Foundation is currently undertaking a detailed study to estimate the extent of the ghost net menace and their retrieval. Abimanyu Panwar, national and international medalist in sailing, has volunteered as a field assistant for the boat survey to identify hotspots and collect data on ghost nets.
Raising alarm on the carelessly discarded nets, Panwar said, “We do a lot of off-shore sailing where we sail from one city to another. Quite recently we sailed from Chennai to Puducherry and one of the challenges we often face are ghost nets getting stuck to the boat. The crew has to get into the water to cut them, which is very risky.”
Unlike States like Kerala, where the government provides incentive to bring back waste nets, Tamil Nadu does not have a ghost net specific conservation programme for recovery and disposal. Experts say the government should take initiative to address this problem.
Supporting the initiative, the Indian Coast Guard has also agreed to volunteer for ghost net recovery. “The ICG is aware of the menace of ghost nets and the threat they pose to the fragile ecosystem along the coast and also the problems faced by small craft and sailboats while negotiating areas infested with such nets,” said an ICG official.
In an effort to raise awareness on this issue, TREE Foundation organised India’s first art exhibition using ghost nets retrieved by the fishermen at VGP Marine Kingdom. The exhibition which concluded on October 16, showcased sculptures of various marine lives. TREE Foundation founder, Supraja Dharani, said fishermen made ghost net sculptures with the help of artists from Kalakruti. “Each sculpture evokes an interconnection between the sea and fishermen,” she said.
Haunting seas
Ghost nets are responsible for trapping and killing lakhs of marine animals every year, including turtles, sharks, and dolphins. Though this has been flagged and acknowledged before, the extent, classification, and quantification of the debris has not been undertaken yet. The extent of damage to the coastal ecosystem has also not been assessed. The land-based disposal facilities of old, unusable and unserviceable fishing gear have not been established at fishing villages/harbours
