Overview
Fathoms Free is dedicated to safeguarding marine wildlife and the environment in Cornwall by removing abandoned fishing gear and other marine debris. Known as Ghost Fishing Gear, this lost equipment endangers marine life through entanglement, and negatively affects marine ecosystems and food chains when it breaks down into microplastics. Fathoms Free urgently responds to reports to locate and remove ghost gear, preventing further harm.
Fathoms Free work to protect marine wildlife and environment by removing abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear as well as all other marine debris from the coastal waters of Cornwall.
This lost equipment is known as Ghost Fishing Gear, as it continues to “fish” entangling and trapping and killing wildlife indiscriminately unless it is removed from the sea. These animals will die trapped and then act as bait attracting more wildlife in a vicious cycle until the ghost gear is removed from the water.
Fathoms Free respond to reports from divers and other water users to locate and remove ghost fishing gear as a matter of urgency. Nets that have washed up on shore need to be recovered before the next high tide comes to take it back to sea. Ghost gear sightings reported in underwater sites could be moved on by tides and currents so it’s important to act quickly, and the longer it is left in the water the more destruction it will cause to the habitat and more wildlife killed.
Plastic marine debris is causing harm to wildlife in the sea and on land, often mistaken for food, and killing the animal by entanglement. Marine plastic litter will also break down over time into smaller plastic fragments that we know to have entered the food chain as micro plastics. This plastic pollution poses a huge threat to wildlife and the environment, so the more we can remove before this occurs the better.
Fathoms Free will use the £3,500 grant awarded from the John Good Group to fully repair or replace their boat trailer. It has become less reliable over time due to general wear and tear and corrosion associated with use for launching in salt water which has affected the team’s ability to respond to reports of ghost gear at short notice around the Cornish coastline.
We are delighted to be able to keep supporting vulnerable new mums and their newborn babies across London with vital baby clothes and equipment. We are a tiny organisation, supporting women who don’t have any other avenues available, so donations like these really make a huge difference.
Oonagh Ryder
