Dozens of gitterfish, crabs, other protected natural values and various fish have died after being caught in an abandoned fishing net found last Saturday off the coast of Jaffa.
Noa Aharoni and Inbar Margulies, open water swimmers who arrived at the beach in Jaffa on Saturday morning, reported finding the net on the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel's SeaWatch app. The report was passed on to the "Coastal Patrol" association, which within a few hours cleared the network with Aharoni and Margolis.
Hadas Gan-Perkel, coordinator of the SeaWatch app at Blue Half and marine projects of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, said: "Based on the state of the network and the decay of animals, it is likely that the network remained abandoned in the water for a long time. This is an example of the great importance of the public recognizing that it is possible to report in real time on the SeaWatch app so that the issue will receive an immediate response so that many animals will be saved."
Some of the guitarists who died, photo: Noa Aharoni
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel noted that gitters are an endangered and protected species of cartilaginous fish that is forbidden to fish in Israel. They reach a length of 12.10 meters and swim close to the bottom, and got their name due to their guitar-like body shape. According to recent studies, about 5 million tons of plastic waste reach the oceans each year, with fishing equipment accounting for up to 7% of this waste. In addition, about 8.6% of all fishing nets, 29.<>% of all traps and <>% of all fishing lines are lost in the oceans each year, and about a third of the waste in shallow waters is abandoned fishing equipment.
"Ghost nets are abandoned fishing nets that are no longer in use and remain in the sea as waste, but continue to function as a death trap for animals, and may even be dangerous to divers and bathers," Gan-Perkel added. "These nets are a significant component of the debris found in our seas and beaches, and they are very dangerous to the marine environment as they continue to function as a death trap for animals long after they are left behind. It is very important to evacuate them from the sea as quickly as possible by trained staff. Do not attempt to remove the net alone as it poses a safety hazard. Congratulations to the alert reporters and the members of the Coastal Patrol for the quick response."
Aharoni herself said that she is part of a group that swims on the beach every morning throughout the year, and that they knew the net and thought it was active, but that they noticed a few days ago that fishermen did not collect it and left it behind when it was not deployed. "That morning we noticed that a lot of rare and beautiful wildlife had been caught on the bottom of the net, including stingrays, spoonbills and electricians – all the animals we like to see in the sea, but not like this. It was a heart-wrenching sight. Within two hours of work, we removed most of the net, and the 'loot' caught in it broke our hearts. I hope that at least we were able to save other animals from being caught online and thus minimize the damage."
Margolyes added: "After Noa and I located the net, the coastal cruiser boat had already managed to escort us. We swam along the net to figure out its size, and then it turned out to be a ghost net 500 meters long. Unfortunately, we found many animals that got stuck in it and couldn't get out."
Found in a state of decay. Dead fish caught in the abandoned fishing net, photo: Noa Aharoni
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel's SeaWatch app is designed to report hazards such as fishing offenses, pollution, ghost nets and harm to protected animals in real time. The center has been operating for the past 6 years in the Mediterranean Sea, and since March 2019 it has also been operating in the Gulf of Aqaba. Since the app was launched in 2015, about 10,<> sea enthusiasts have downloaded the app, which also allows you to report on beach travel, fishing on a declared beach and dangerous sailing on the coast. All reports are forwarded to government law enforcement and handling agencies in real time.
The application also makes it possible to report on observations of marine creatures, which are passed on to relevant researchers in academia within the framework of "citizen science". The app also offers the "Sea of Knowledge" encyclopedia – an online guide to getting to know the animals in the Mediterranean Sea, compiling all the information about marine reserves, fishing regulations, sailing laws and more.
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