"Ghost Nets" to Be Recycled

Ghost Nets, one of the greatest threats to marine life, will be recovered and recycled into secondary raw material for the national economy under the sponsorship of Şenmak Makina, which operates in the plastic machinery sector. The Marmara Islands Ghost Nets Project aims to extract 40,000 square meters of ghost nets—equivalent to 95 basketball courts—from 25 locations in the Balıkesir Marmara Islands region and make a significant contribution to the aquatic ecosystem. The extracted nets will be recycled into secondary plastic raw material and returned to the national economy. The Marmara Islands Ghost Nets Project, which began in July 2020 through the initiatives of Şenmak Makina Board Chairman Hüseyin Semerci, is being implemented at 25 locations identified following preliminary work conducted with divers. All parameters of the work are being evaluated by faculty members of Balıkesir University and personnel from the Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, while the project report prepared by Associate Professor Dilek Türker, Aquaculture Engineer Abdulkadir Ünal, Dr. Ahmet Öztener, and Expert Biologist Kadriye Zengin received approval from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Rather than disposing of the extracted nets in disposal facilities, the project aims to use them as secondary raw material in industry and return them to the economy. The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization also approved the initiative, stating that "plastic-based waste shall be returned to the economy in accordance with waste codes." Under the Marmara Islands Ghost Nets Project, the extracted ghost nets will be recycled and used in white goods manufacturing.

640,000 tons of ghost nets abandoned at sea annually

Ghost nets—abandoned by fishermen when their nets become caught on rocky seabeds during fishing—drift with currents over long distances for years, indiscriminately catching everything in their path like predators. By trapping small fish and attracting their predators to the region, these nets are responsible for killing millions of animals annually, including sharks and seabirds. Ghost nets cause further damage by entangling live coral, suffocating reefs, and attracting parasites and invasive species to reef environments. According to data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 640,000 tons of ghost nets enter the seas each year, and a 100-meter ghost net causes the death of at least 300 marine animals.

Aquatic ecosystem under threat

Şenmak Makina Board Chairman Hüseyin Semerci, highlighting that plastics used in the production of nets known for their durability are an important part of human life, notes that due to improper and unconscious use, these plastics—which add value to human life through their superior properties—can take years to decompose and disappear. He states that what must be done in this situation is to prevent plastic from becoming waste. Noting that they embarked on this path to contribute to increasingly impoverished underwater life and fishing activities, Semerci stated: "By extracting ghost nets from 25 points in Balıkesir's Marmara Islands region, we will contribute to the aquatic ecosystem. We will recycle the extracted net waste to prevent it from remaining waste and enable its reuse. With our project, we want to repay our debt to the sea and set an example. Through our Marmara Islands Artificial Reef Project, approximately 40,000 square meters of nets that we will extract will be processed at a recycling facility and processed by a white goods manufacturer, becoming white goods that are an integral part of our daily lives." he said.

Semerci: "The project should expand from the Marmara Sea across the country"

Pointing out that the Marmara Region and Marmara Sea, which are home to more than 30 percent of the country's population, face considerable urban pressure and transportation traffic, Semerci noted that ghost nets covering the seabed cause serious damage to fauna and flora. He continued: "With declining fish populations in recent years, we are no longer just aware of this serious issue—we are experiencing it. Through our project, we want to create national awareness starting from the Marmara Region. Ghost nets drifting in our seas for years, indiscriminately killing all living creatures in their path, pose a serious threat to our seas and species populations. We are the source of this problem, and we must solve it." The Marmara Islands Ghost Nets Project is being implemented by the Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry with the support of the Marmara Island Gündoğdu Village Development and Beautification Association and under the sponsorship of Şenmak Makina.