As Sri Lanka struggles with ghost nets, volunteer youth lead seabed cleanup

Abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear, commonly called “ghost nets,” continue to trap and kill marine animals such as sea turtles, dolphins and whales, long after these nets being discarded in Sri Lankan waters.
As this fishing gear can travel long distances via winds and ocean currents before sinking, it accumulates along shorelines or converges in large plastic patches in the oceans, becoming a transboundary issue.
Volunteer initiatives such as The Pearl Protectors are diving to remove ghost nets, successfully recovering tens of hundreds of kilograms of discarded fishing gear from coral reefs and seagrass beds.
While recycling efforts continue, a Sri Lankan designer has pioneered an innovative upcycling approach, transforming ghost fishing nets into fashion items — merging marine conservation with sustainable creativity to raise awareness of ocean pollution.

COLOMBO —Galle Face Beach in Sri Lanka’s commercial capital, Colombo, is a popular spot among city dwellers, watched over by lifeguards assigned by the coast guard unit of the Sri Lanka Navy. But one Sunday morning, lifeguard Chamara Vipulasena’s rescue wasn’t a human swimmer, but a sea turtle entangled in a drifting fishing net.

Vipulasena had to swim about 150 meters (492 feet) from shore to reach the struggling turtle. “The net was old and covered with algae, suggesting it had been drifting for some time,” he told Mongabay. The exhausted young olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) sported deep cuts on its flippers and head, from its struggle to break free from the nylon threads. The turtle could have been floating with the net without feeding for days, Vipulasena said.

The turtle was later treated for its injuries and released back to the sea.

Two olive ridley turtles caught in discarded fishing nets. Image courtesy of Galbokka Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Center.

This rescue highlights a growing problem in Sri Lanka’s waters with abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear, commonly called “ghost nets.” These nets continue to trap and kill marine animals long after being discarded in to the sea — an act known as “ghost fishing.”

“These lost fishing gear kill scores of marine species and remains a specific problem for marine turtles,” said Thushan Kapurusinghe, project lead of the Turtle Conservation Project of Sri Lanka.

The impact of ghost nets extends well beyond Sri Lanka. A five-year study in the Maldives documented 752 ghost nets that had ensnared 131 turtles. In this study, the researchers extrapolated that between 3,400 and 12,200 turtles may be caught in ghost gear across the Indian Ocean each year.

Charith Dilshan, project manager of the Galbokka Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Center in Kosgoda, southern Sri Lanka, said they encounter at least 30 turtles each year entangled in ghost nets along their stretch of beach. According to Dilshan, some of these nets aren’t from Sri Lanka but drift in with ocean currents after being lost elsewhere. The problem peaks in May and June during the southwest monsoon, when rough seas bring both ghost nets and drifting turtles toward the coast, he told Mongabay.

But turtles are not the only victims. Ghost nets entangle fish, dolphins and even seabirds. In northern Sri Lanka’s Mannar region, birder Lahiru Walpita has recorded seabirds fatally trapped in discarded fishing gear.

Ghost nets also trigger chain reactions: Small fish caught in the mesh attract larger predators such as turtles and dolphins, which then become entangled themselves. “That’s why we call them ‘floating cemeteries,’” Kapurusinghe said.

Raising awareness is key to minimizing harmful effects of ghost nets, as demonstrated by this World Oceans Day exhibit made of salvaged nets. Image courtesy of The Pearl Protectors.

A transboundary problem

Recent studies suggest Sri Lanka’s contribution to the problem is significant. A 2022 pilot study estimated that 22,593 kilograms (about 50,000 pounds) of plastic fishing gear were lost to the sea from just 325 surveyed vessels. With more than 50,000 registered fishing vessels nationwide, the true figure is likely much higher, said Gayathri Lokuge of the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), who co-authored the study.

Gillnets were identified as the gear most frequently lost, followed by lines and hooks. Poor weather and ocean conditions were the leading causes, with gear conflicts also playing a role. Weak port waste management and limited recycling infrastructure add to the problem, Lokuge noted.

Sri Lanka’s beaches reflect the scale of the issue. An islandwide survey of 22 beaches found that packaging waste made up 55% of debris, consumer products 25% and fishing gear 20%. The sight of tangled nets washed ashore is now common along the coast.

Experts warn that ghost nets are not an issue for a single country, but a transboundary problem. Nets lost in one country’s waters may drift into another’s. International shipping lanes that pass near Sri Lanka’s southern and southeastern coasts add further sources of discarded gear, according to Lokuge.

A discarded fishing net wrapped around this coral could have become a deadly trap for numerous marine creatures. Image courtesy of Blue Resources Trust.

“This must be part of global agreements on plastic pollution,” said fisheries and ecosystem management professional Janaka de Silva, who has worked with IUCN’s plastic pollution program. Ghost gear not only traps wildlife but can also spread invasive species and break down into microplastics that accumulate in marine food chains, De Silva said.

A recent World Bank report, Tangled Seas, underlines the global scale of the threat. It estimates that 10% of marine plastic pollution comes from ghost gear, with 5.7% of nets and 29% of lines lost each year. Without monitoring and interventions, the report warns, the problem will worsen.

During a voluntary cleanup operation, 293 kilograms (645 pounds) of ghost fishing nets were removed from South Reef on the east coast. Image courtesy of The Pearl Protectors.

Volunteer efforts offer hope

While policy responses remain limited, Sri Lankan volunteers are working to reduce ghost gear in the ocean. A number of volunteer divers from organizations such as Sri Lanka Navy and the Sub-Aqua Club participate in cleaning operations removing the ghosts nets. A few years back, The Pearl Protectors, a local conservation group, also initiated a program Cleaner Seabeds for Sri Lanka, which mobilizes divers to remove marine litter and ghost nets from coral reefs.

According to founder Muditha Katuwawala, the group has organized more than 90 underwater cleanup dives, engaging more than 175 volunteer divers. Together, they have removed 1.9 metric tons of marine litter, much of it fishing gear entangled in reefs along Sri Lanka’s eastern, western and northern coasts. “Volunteer response is high,” Katuwawala said. “But the real solution is to prevent this gear from being discarded in the first place, or to recover it quickly if it is lost.”

Fishing net as a fashion statement: A Sri Lankan designer has pioneered an innovative upcycling approach by converting ghost fishing nets into fashion items, taking a creative approach to build awareness of marine pollution. Image courtesy of Thumalka Rupasinghe.

Creative solutions through upcycling

Beyond cleanups, some Sri Lankans are exploring ways to repurpose ghost nets. Fashion designer Thumalka Rupasinghe has launched a project to transform discarded nets into fashion items. Her process involves collecting, cleaning and processing the nets before incorporating them into clothing and accessories.

Rupasinghe’s work has been showcased at exhibitions, including World Oceans Day, drawing attention to both marine pollution and the potential of sustainable design. By upcycling ghost nets, she hopes to turn a destructive problem into a tool for awareness and change.

Despite these efforts, experts highlight that systemic solutions are needed. Better monitoring, waste management and recycling infrastructure for fishing gear are crucial. Incentives for responsible disposal, innovation in gear materials and stricter enforcement against illegal dumping could help reduce the problem.

As Vipulasena’s turtle rescue showed, ghost nets are not an abstract issue — they are a daily threat in Sri Lanka’s waters. Without stronger policies and international cooperation, these floating cemeteries will continue to haunt marine life across the Indian Ocean, De Silva pointed out.

Banner Image: An olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) entangled in ghost nets off the coastal waters of Sri Lanka’s commercial capital, Colombo, was fortunate to be rescued by lifeguards. Image courtesy of the Sri Lanka Navy.

Citations:

Stelfox, M., Bulling, M., & Sweet, M. (2019). Untangling the origin of ghost gear within the Maldivian archipelago and its impact on olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) populations. Endangered Species Research, 40, 309-320. doi:10.3354/esr00990

Gallagher, A., Randall, P., Sivyer, D., Binetti, U., Lokuge, G., & Munas, M. 2023. Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) in Sri Lanka – A pilot study collecting baseline data. Marine Policy 148. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2022.105386

Jang, Y. C., Ranatunga, R., Mok, J. Y., Kim, K. S., Hong, S. Y., Choi, Y. R., & Gunasekara, A. (2018). Composition and abundance of marine debris stranded on the beaches of Sri Lanka: Results from the first island-wide survey. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 128, 126-131. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.01.018