Cleaning up abandoned fishing nets in the Mediterranean

Dear difteurs,

Despite capricious weather that has complicated our dives over the past few months, we're delighted to announce a major milestone for our DéFi-Méd project! Thanks to your invaluable support, we've reached a decisive milestone, carrying out a first mission in the Var!

We had obtained a great deal of information on the areas to prospect following our meeting with the prud'homie of Saint-Raphaël, so last week we set off for the Var to prospect the waters of Agay.

Finally, three fishing nets abandoned on the coralligenous were removed.

We have already scheduled the next mission in a few weeks' time to continue the prospecting and clean-up.

Dear donors,

Thanks to your difts, the project DeFi-Med has been able to last another year! In 2024, we continued the search for ghost nets, carried out their removal and strengthened our collaboration with artisanal fishermen.

No less than 72 hectares of seabed were prospected, mainly in Protected Marine Areas in the Alpes-Maritimes! These long prospecting dives enabled us to identify 29 ghost nets.

14 nets were able to be removed, corresponding to a surface area of 2840 m² of sensitive habitats that will be able to regenerate, and the depollution of 1.6 Km of plastic material.

Since 2020, the project has resulted in the removal of 60 nets: a total length of 5 Km and a total surface area of 1.5 hectares!

A big thank you to you, dear supporters, for your support, without which none of this would be possible 🙏.

In 2025, the adventure continues with ever greater ambitions, in the Marine Protected Areas of Var, Corsica and Alpes-Maritimes! We'll be back shortly with the program for this new year. 💙

The NaturDive team

Dear difteurs,

Thanks to your difts, we were able to carry out a new prospecting campaign in Marine Protected Areas!

To find old abandoned fishing nets (which continue to pollute), underwater scooter prospecting missions remain our main means of action.

In July and November 2024, our divers prospected new areas of coralligenous to 50m depth, in the Estérel-Théoule departmental maritime park and in the Cap d'Ail fishing cantonment.

For the few fishing gears identified, depending on our assessment, the necessary measures will be taken for their removal and the depollution of the seabed.

Dear difteurs, thanks to your difts, the project is growing!
In addition to the Alpes-Maritimes, ghost net removal will take place in the Var and Corsica, again in collaboration with artisan fishermen.
And for this expansion, we've renovated an old wooden tugboat that was due for the scrap heap! Thousands of hours of work this summer were necessary to make this heritage vessel operational, which will be back in service for the preservation of the marine environment. 
A big thank you to all of you! 

Since the beginning of the year and thanks to the reports of several fishermen and divers, we have been able to remove 6 ghost nets at depths of up to 60 meters, mainly around Cannes. That's 1.3 km less net on sensitive habitats such as coralligenous and posidonia. For some of these nets, we intervened to help artisanal fishermen unhook or find their nets. A great synergy between fishermen and divers, aimed at reducing the impact of our respective activities on the marine environment.
In July, a major phase of prospecting took place in the Cap d'Ail reserve and the Théoule-Sur-Mer Marine Park. Several hours were spent criss-crossing the seabed, identifying around twenty nets that will soon be removed.
All these interventions have helped reduce the impact of fishing nets on marine ecosystems. These actions are crucial for the preservation of marine biodiversity and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the protection of marine ecosystems, in collaboration with local stakeholders.
We would like to thank you for your unconditional support! 

In 2023, your support enabled us to carry out diving surveys over a total surface area of 127 ha! 
50 abandoned nets were identified.
We were able to remove 15 nets as a priority, representing a total length of 1,450 m and a total surface area of 3,700 m²! These are mainly coralligenous reefs that have been cleaned up and will be able to regenerate.
These actions would not have been possible without your support and we thank you.
In 2024, the project continues...

The year 2023 came to a close with the removal of two old nets on Cap d'Antibes. The coralligenous reefs thus freed up will be able to regenerate.
Over 2023, a huge amount of work has been achieved thanks to your donations... follow the project news for an update soon!! 

Capricious weather dragged this fishing net onto the Enfer de Dente in Golfe-Juan, a fragile site renowned for its gorgonian-rich coralligenous zone. Quickly alerted by the fisherman, we intervened to help remove the net and minimize its impact. Several gorgonians were replanted on site, and the small lobsters were returned to the water.
A fine example of fishermen and divers working together to reduce the impact of our respective activities.

In October, we were commissioned by the Département des Alpes-Maritimes to record lost nets in the Natura 2000 area of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, between Monaco and Italy.
Our divers spent long hours diving, covering more than 10 km using underwater scooters!
These surveys are essential to assess and prepare for future dives to remove these nets.

Contacted by a fisherman, we set off to help him retrieve his net hanging on the bottom at the mouth of the Var river. What a surprise when we found ourselves in front of a huge tree planted vertically at a depth of 30m, the net caught in its branches! An unreal dive! The tree must have been swept down there during the storm Alex of 2020, which devastated the Vésubie valley!
We were able to unhook the net, which was then hauled up by the fisherman. 
A fine example of collaboration to reduce the impact of fishing on the marine environment.

The month of July was marked by a major prospection phase in the Estérel-Théoule Marine Park. Long hours spent criss-crossing the seabed in search of abandoned nets. Around twenty small nets were identified, and will be removed shortly.

7 nets have been removed from our bottoms in the Antibes, Cannes and Iles de Lérins Natura 2000 zone! 
A total of 1100 m and 2300 m2 less nets! Cleaned coralligenous reefs that will be able to regenerate themselves!
Thank you for your support 🙏

An intense week for our divers with the removal of 3 fishing nets in the Natura 2000 area Antibes, Cannes and Îles de Lérins:

During the month of May, we tested new tools for locating ghost nets, such as this small underwater robot controlled from the surface (ROV - Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle) and capable of descending to a depth of 100m.
After removing 10 nets last year, let's hope these new tools can help us reach our goal of removing 30 nets this year 💪

The beginning of the year was marked by numerous prospecting dives in the Cannes and Antibes area in search of lost nets. A few old nets were spotted and will be removed shortly.
In March, the first net of the year was removed from the seabed.
In the coming months, removal operations will accelerate... thanks to your support for our actions to preserve our oceans!

Between the search for funding and technical preparations, we're getting ready to attack the search for nets in the coming weeks. An important element of the project, we have invested in a more efficient vessel: the Kraken!