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120 kg of fishing nets were removed from the seabed, while a further 510 kg of nets and other fishing gear recovered during previous operations were disposed of, together with 60 kg of waste collected from Porto Giunco beach.

This is the result of GhostNetBusters – Hunting Ghost Nets – an initiative aimed at recovering abandoned fishing gear from the waters of the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area.

Two long abandoned fishing nets, measuring more than 120 metres in total, were lying on the seabed at one of the most beautiful diving sites in the Capo Carbonara MPA. The nets had been identified and reported in recent months by local diving operators and were recovered on 4 September by a specialised team made up of the 4th Underwater Unit of the Cagliari Coast Guard and the Carabinieri Diving Unit, as part of the GhostNetBusters operation.

At the same time, a clean-up activity took place on Porto Giunco beach, coordinated by MEDSEA together with the Diomedea Cooperative and supported logistically by the Forestry and Environmental Surveillance Corps. Around twenty citizens and volunteers gathered at 9 a.m. in Piazzetta della Marina in Villasimius and cleaned several areas around Porto Giunco beach and the nearby Notteri lagoon.

In the early afternoon, the net recovered that morning became the focus of a workshop on ghost fishing, held at the Primo Molo restaurant, home of the Villasimius branch of the Italian Naval League. The session offered an opportunity to raise awareness and explore the impact of abandoned fishing gear on marine ecosystems and on wildlife that can become trapped in it, as well as the strategies available to prevent fishing gear from being lost at sea.

The initiative was also made possible thanks to the support of Patagonia, which has a long-standing commitment to protecting marine and coastal environments through its environmental grants programme. Through GhostNetBusters, Patagonia continues to support local organisations working directly in the field to protect ocean health, backing an initiative that combines the physical removal of marine litter, community engagement and scientific outreach.

The action was organised by the MEDSEA Foundation in collaboration with the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area.

“Once a net has been located, initiatives like this allow us to remove it and free that stretch of sea, making it safer and more accessible for all marine species,” explains Valeria Masala, Director of the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area. “Fortunately, we can rely on strong cooperation with other authorities, including the Coast Guard, the Forestry Corps and the Carabinieri Diving Unit.”

“The Coast Guard is responsible for monitoring Marine Protected Areas, but it cannot cover such a vast area alone. Cooperation with the Carabinieri, the Forestry Corps and diving operators enables us to work together effectively and achieve better results,” says Gabriele Pintus, Head of the Operations Section of the Cagliari Coast Guard Operations Room.

“Cooperation between institutions and those who work at sea is essential. Under Law 394/1991 on Marine Protected Areas, the Coast Guard is responsible for surveillance and patrolling, but such a large area cannot be effectively covered by one organisation alone. Cooperation between the Carabinieri, Coast Guard, Forestry Corps and marine operators allows us to work safely and efficiently and to successfully complete operations such as this one,” explains Fabio Previti, Carabinieri Diving Unit, Cagliari.

“Ghost nets are one of the most insidious threats to our seas: they can continue trapping fish, turtles and marine mammals for years after being lost or abandoned. Through GhostNetBusters, we want to combine direct action – in this case, removing a net that had long posed a threat within the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area – with awareness raising, bringing together citizens, institutions and partners such as Patagonia in a model of cooperation that starts from Marine Protected Areas: places of exceptional natural value, but also highly vulnerable environments,” concludes Francesca Frau, President of the MEDSEA Foundation and marine biologist.

For MEDSEA, however, the action does not end here. GhostNetBusters is part of the wider Hunting Ghost Nets project, which focuses in particular on removing ghost fishing gear from Marine Protected Areas – highly sensitive environments where the impact of abandoned fishing equipment can be especially severe.