New scheme to recycle 'ghost gear' will help keep Scilly's waters clean

NEW initiative will see abandoned fishing gear and nets found on the Isles of Scilly transformed into useful products.

- by CORNISHMAN REPORTER

The partnership between the Duchy of Cornwall and Cornish social enterprise Waterhaul aims to collect and recycle end-of-life and abandoned fishing gear which would otherwise be destined for landfill or incineration or remain in the ocean to endanger marine life.

The recovered materials will instead be repurposed in the UK into products such as sunglasses and litter-picking equipment.

Established in 2018, Waterhaul recovers and recycles marine plastics from the UK’s coastline to create polymers with the Traceable Marine Plastic trademark which can be used in the manufacture of new products.

So far this year the organisation has collected and recycled more than 27,000kg of fishing gear from the ocean.

The partnership will be led by the Duchy's team at the harbour on St Mary's, in collaboration with the Council of the Isles of Scilly, the Isles of Scilly Fishermen's Association, the Isles of Scilly Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, Penzance firm Kraken Marine Services and waste contractor Biffa.