The Downbelow crew found yet another illegal dumped fishing net on one of the most popular reefs in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park yesterday. Many animals were trapped dead or dying & the reef smothered. Downbelow MD Richard Swann quickly assembled a team 11 strong to go take care of the menace. After a quick briefing we set to work & now the job is done!
We released many live creatures and the net now can no longer kill as it is gone. Downbelow actively remove any net we find at our own cost so if you discover a ghostnet on your dives & are unable to remove it yourself please report it to us & of course the local authorities too which is Sabah Parks.
Big thanks to all our team who work so hard on these tricky net removals, to date we have removed more than 100!
Nets are used by fishermen close to reefs as the yield is higher however once the net is snagged on the fragile reef structure they have no choice but to cut & let it drop to become an underwater disaster that is unseen by most people. Net damage & illegal fishing is probably the biggest threat to the TAR Park.
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