Thousands of square feet of abandoned fishing nets are spread across more and more areas of the seabed, causing a growing form of desertification to the marine ecosystems. This has resulted in 10% pollution of the sea! The phenomenon is not recent; centuries of maritime history have had a profound effect on the nets.
The difference today is the growth of the fishing fleets and the use of modern fishing techniques which have become more and more aggressive. Unfortunately, the phenomenon has rarely aroused interest – despite being reported - and has never caused significant interventions by the maritime authorities. Yet even such phenomena as the perpetuation of the abandonment of the nets without any commitment to a campaign of recovery and rehabilitation of the affected areas, has had little effect; environmental degradation continues.