In April 2024, Healthy Seas, in partnership with Chaint Afrique and Karün, embarked on a landmark journey to Keta, Ghana’s Volta Region and home of Lake Volta, the biggest man-made lake in the world. This marked Healthy Seas’ first project in Africa and signalled the beginning of a new partnership focused on raising awareness about the dangers of ghost nets and promoting recycling and marine conservation with local fishing communities.
A New Collaboration for Education and Conservation
The visit kicked off on the 22nd of April to the Ghana Fisheries Commission, where the Healthy Seas Team and Chaint Afrique Team were received by Mr Fred Kwasi Antwi-Boadu, the Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission. Also attending was the Regional Director for the Fisheries Commission in the Central Region, Mr Kwame Damoah. Healthy Seas, known for its expertise in educational outreach, presented its vision for turning waste into wear, while Chaint Afrique, already actively working with local fishermen through their innovative Project Netcycle Africa, played a key role in organizing the event. Project Netcycle Africa aims to create a network of pan-African blue economy actors actively reducing the impact of ALDFG (abandoned, lost or other discarded fishing gear) through education and collection of waste fishnets while linking blue economy actors to the Chaint Afrique network of collaborators in the global recycling market for waste fishnets. This new collaboration aimed to deepen fishermen’s understanding of ghost nets, emphasizing the importance of their recovery and the potential for recycling them into new products.
Engaging Fishermen through Education
On the 23rd of April, the teams travelled to Keta fishing community on the eastern Coast of Ghana, about five hours from Accra. Despite a sudden windstorm that caused delays, the event went ahead as planned, demonstrating the resilience and dedication of all involved. Healthy Seas designed the educational activities, delivering oral presentations to conserve power, considering a solar generator was being used by Chaint Afrique due to a power outage, and showcasing various products made from recycled fishing nets. The highlight was the virtual reality (VR) experience, where attendees could simulate diving on a shipwreck and recovering nets from the ocean floor. This immersive activity captivated the fisherman, sparking meaningful discussions about recycling and marine conservation especially on the role they could play to prevent it.
A New Vision for Recycled Products
The partnership between Healthy Seas and Chaint Afrique aims to encourage local fishermen to recognize the dangers of ghost nets and the benefits of recycling them. The enthusiastic response from the participants was a clear sign that this approach could lead to increased engagement and participation in the collection of waste fishnets as a measure to reduce the impact of ALDFG. Healthy Seas and Karün gifted sunglasses made from recycled nylon waste, including waste monofilament nylon fishnets, to the fishermen, a gesture that was met with great appreciation. The day concluded with a hot meal and ALDFG advocacy T-shirts provided by Chaint Afrique as part of the ALDFG advocacy drive within 30 communities on the coast of Ghana in collaboration with CEFAS, UK.
Building Momentum for the Future
The following day, the teams visited the Accra Harbor warehouse owned by Portside MTG, and used by Chaint Afrique where recovered fishing nets are sorted, treated, and prepared for shipment to our partner Aquafil. The ultimate goal is to raise more awareness among local fishermen, foster greater engagement, and expand Project Netcycle Africa to include more communities and countries along the Gulf of Guinea.
This trip to Ghana represents a significant step in Healthy Seas’ mission to promote sustainability and marine protection. Through a collaborative partnership with Chaint Afrique and Project Netcycle Africa, the event demonstrated that with more awareness and engagement, it’s possible to make a significant impact on the environment by engaging the local communities at different levels. We hope this is just the beginning of a promising journey toward cleaner oceans, thriving communities, and growing recycling practices across the world.
