by Eckhard Becker

BSHRP Bergungsteam profitiert gleich doppelt vom ENOS®-System

Danger for flora, fauna and humans

Drifting nets pose a great danger to shipping: If they get caught in the propeller, the freighter is unable to maneuver and bobs rudderless in the busy Baltic Sea, which has a major impact on all surrounding traffic. But even if the nets sink, they cause great damage: They often get caught on wrecks, which they thus destroy and with them the entire flora and fauna that has since colonized the wreck and turned it into a new reef; the basis of life for many more fish and plants. At the same time, fish, seals, whales and porpoises become entangled in the nets and die miserably. As if that were not enough, the nets are constantly releasing microplastics and toxic heavy metals, which end up in the human food chain.

Enough reasons why ghost nets absolutely must be removed from the oceans.

Extreme diving conditions

The recovery is always a major challenge because the dives take place at great depths that are reserved for experienced technical divers. In cold, dark water, often with strong currents and poor visibility, the first step is to determine the safest way to remove the ghost net. The nets are very heavy and are often under high tension, which is why they cannot simply be cut off. Over the years, the dedicated divers from the BSHRP have now removed several hundred nets from the Baltic Sea. In doing so, they have removed tons of hazardous waste from the sea, because modern nets are now made of plastic, lead and arsenic, which can only be disposed of in special facilities at great expense.

Gigantic ghost net poses gigantic challenge

The divers from the BSHRP are truly experienced divers who have already recovered many large nets. But the “monster net” off the coast of Rügen is a huge challenge for them too. It is a herring trawl that was lost by a fishing trawler in 2019. Despite the position being indicated, the search itself proved to be difficult because traditional nautical instruments such as fishfinders or echo sounders are not suitable. In close cooperation with Wolfgang Frank, the owner of a diving center on Rügen, the relevant sea area was meticulously surveyed and systematically explored with search dives. Finally, after a long time and numerous dives, they found what they were looking for.

Over 100 meters long and weighing several tons

The relief of having finally found the net was quickly followed by disillusionment. Because it surpassed everything that had been seen and recovered so far! The team had not even been able to inspect the net thoroughly because it was located at a depth of over 40 meters, where visibility is just five meters.

Sabine Kerkau states: “It's the biggest net I've ever seen! But I haven't even seen it completely yet. We assume that it is around 100 meters long and 50 meters wide. It's hanging from an “object” that we can't yet tell what it is because it's completely wrapped in the net. The net is very heavy as it is made from very thick

plastic ropes and is also surrounded by heavy metal chains. That's why we don't yet know how much has sunk into the sand and how large the total area is that the net is covering the seabed and destroying the local ecosystem. But the problems go even further: some of the net is lying on the bottom in large clumps up to several meters high. It is impossible to make precise statements about the extent at this stage. But we already know one thing for sure: it will be very difficult and very hard work to cut this “monster” into pieces in order to get it out of the water bit by bit.”

Careful preparations for salvage in the fall

It goes without saying that such a gigantic net cannot simply be pulled out of the water. This operation must be professionally planned for the expected time required, with enough salvage divers and a sufficient number of cutters to bring the net parts ashore. This is time-consuming, which is why the complete salvage of the “monster net” is scheduled for fall 2024.

Another problem: financing

However, the huge net also causes another problem, namely huge costs. The BSHRP divers already work free of charge and use their own diving equipment. They also bear all other costs themselves, such as the special breathing gas mixture they need for the deep dives as well as all their travel, food and accommodation costs. The BSHRP only has to pay for the rental of the boats and the fuel for the private vessels, which are provided free of charge by dedicated skippers; however, this directly adds up to several thousand euros. And if the worst comes to the worst, the environmental organization also has to bear the extremely high disposal costs.

“The Rügen net is getting really expensive,” sighs Kerkau: ”A cutter costs up to 2,000 euros a day. And at this size, we can't do it with one boat, we have to use several because it's a lot of garbage - and it's all toxic hazardous waste!” She estimates that the entire salvage operation will take five to six days, with the corresponding number of dives.

Double the help from the ENOS® system

Part of these costs will be covered by the donation from Seareq International GmbH, whose ENOS® system, the electronic location system for lost divers, won the “boot Dive Award” as the best product in the “Technology” category at this year's “boot” trade fair. Even before the award ceremony, Managing Director Dirk Göldner was certain that he would donate the prize money of 3,000 euros to the BSHRP: “The work of the BSHRP takes place underwater and goes virtually unnoticed - yet it is so immensely important!” He adds: “The BSHRP has been using our ENOS® system very successfully for several years now, not only for its own divers, but also for the recovery of nets. ENOS® transmitters are attached to the lifting balloons and, thanks to the signal, the captain can locate them directly on the surface. Depending on the strength of the swell, the nets cannot be seen and are in danger of drifting into the shipping channel. We are proud that we are now supporting the team twice over.”

Kerkau agrees: “We are incredibly grateful to Seareq International for this donation, which helps us noticeably. And we were delighted that ENOS® won the “boot Dive AWARD”. And really not because we benefited financially from it,” she says with a laugh, ”but because it was well deserved! We've known for a long time how reliably ENOS® works.” And that will be the case again this fall off Rügen. ...

To be continued, about the salvage of the monster net

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