Project ReCon SRP

Ghost nets are considered one of the most damaging types of plastic marine debris, with an estimated 2% of fishing gear lost annually, which can drift in the ocean from days to years. This poses a huge problem in the world’s oceans including Australia’s northern oceans and the Great Barrier Reef, where sadly we see tonnes of fish, dugongs, turtles and other marine species getting tangled up, and coral reefs are put at risk.

With lost or discarded ghost nets the size of football fields currently drifting unsupervised across the Great Barrier Reef, they are causing untold damage to marine life and fragile corals as they become entangled on reefs. Sometimes a ghost net can’t be removed due to its size and the capacity of the vessel and crew who find them, unfortunately drifting away from their reported locations. Project ReCon gives the ability for those who find ghost gear, to tag it so we can arrange for its removal with the appropriate equipment and expertise.

In a world-first, Tangaroa Blue Foundation, Satlink and AMDI partners have designed a program that uses retrieved and repurposed satellite technology to track and remove deadly and destructive ghost nets.

Previously, vessels could report a ghost net to authorities for removal but it may drift away by the time a removal team could be mobilised. With Project RecCon, a buoy can be immediately attached and the net’s movement tracked in real-time by satellites until a retrieval team is mobilised.  Project ReCon will allow international commercial fishing fleets to donate any of their buoys found during beach clean-ups to be reassigned to Tangaroa Blue Foundation and used with AMDI partners to track these nets.

Implementing Project ReCon across Northern Australia will help reduce technological waste, reduce impacts on coastal environments and benefit the local Australian communities that find the “echo-sounder” buoy.

We can also re-purpose these echosounders into virtual fences that can be established and utilised to notify relevant agencies when a tracked ghost net is in proximity to sensitive marine environments (reefs) or poses a navigational hazard to ships. This proactive approach enhances the protection of our precious ocean ecosystems.