Marine Life & Conservation
Clearing the SS Epsilon
Volunteer divers and ghost net recovery charities have now cleared the SS Epsilon in Falmouth Bay of ghost fishing gear. The process has taken a long time with several visits from Atlantic Scuba, Fathom’s Free, NARC and Ghost Fishing UK.
Over the last two years, in excess of two tons of fishing nets, pots and ropes have been recovered, recycled or safely disposed of. The last ghost gear removal on July 10th 2021 removed the last medium to large pieces, leaving only deeply embedded remnants. For many years, the SS Epsilon has been referred to as a ‘dirty’ wreck, with huge clumps of net tangled with or lying all over it. Now it is virtually clean, it will be monitored regularly by local divers, to see if any more nets appear. If any nets do turn up they can be investigated to see whether they are new nets, old nets that have been rolling around the sea bed for many years, or nets that have been buried on the site and uncovered by the shifting sea bed.
Luke Bullus of Fathoms Free said: “As a regular diver of the Epsilon with Atlantic Scuba, it’s great to see the wreck is finally clear of ghost gear. Clearing the wreck has been a great collective effort from all involved and it will be interesting to see if more lost and abandoned nets etc. appear on the wreck in the future. Really looking forward to being able to spend more time taking photos of the abundance of marine life found on the wreck rather than filling a mesh bag of ghost gear on every dive!”
Fred Nunn of Ghost Fishing UK said: “It’s been very rewarding to be involved in the clean up of the wreck of the SS Epsilon. Between all the organisations involved there must have been over 10 projects/trips all with the goal to eventually clear the site of Ghost Gear. We are now in the position to have a cleared site to monitor closely and any changes can be documented and investigated for their origin. Plus it is one of my favourite local wrecks so that’s a bonus!”
Mark Milburn of Atlantic Scuba said: “As one of the most dived wrecks in Falmouth Bay, the quantities of nets lying around it made it a less pleasant experience. Every time we took divers there, they always commented on the large amount of nets. We had been picking away at it for a while but with Fathom’s Free and Ghost Fishing UK spending days on site, it certainly made it happen much faster. Our divers will be keeping an eye out, in case any more ghost fishing gear turns up.”
Well done to all involved.
Photo credits
Fathoms Free – the last clean – Mark Milburn
Ghost Fishing UK – an early clean – Kerry Place
The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!
Donate to Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants
The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.
The Shark Trust’s citizen science project is to monitor and assess basking sharks through sightings; encouraging data collection, community engagement, and promoting nature accessibility. This initiative aims to enhance health and wellbeing by fostering a deeper connection with British Sharks.
Campaign Aims
- Increase citizen science reporting of Basking Sharks and other shark sightings to help inform shark and ray conservation.
- Provide educational talks about the diverse range of sharks and rays in British waters and accessible identification guides!
- Create engaging and fun information panels on how to ID the amazing sharks and rays we have on our doorstep! These can be used on coastal paths around the Southwest. With activities and information on how you can make a difference for sharks and rays!
- Promote mental wellbeing through increasing time in nature and discovering the wonders beneath the waves!
Donate, and double your impact. Click Here
Marine Life & Conservation
Leading UK-based shark conservation charity, the Shark Trust, is delighted to announce tour operator Diverse Travel as a Corporate Patron
Corporate Patrons provide a valuable boost to the work of The Shark Trust. The Trust team works globally to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, engaging with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses and supporters to further shark conservation.
Specialist tour operator Diverse Travel has operated since 2014 and is committed to offering its guests high quality, sustainable scuba diving holidays worldwide. Working together with the Shark Trust will enable both organisations to widen engagement and encourage divers and snorkellers to actively get involved in shark conservation.
“Sharks are truly at the heart of every diver and at Diverse Travel, we absolutely share that passion. There is nothing like seeing a shark in the wild – it’s a moment that stays with you forever!” says Holly Bredin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Diverse Travel.
“We’re delighted to celebrate our 10th year of business by becoming a Corporate Patron of the Shark Trust. This is an exciting partnership for Diverse and our guests. We will be donating on behalf of every person who books a holiday with us to contribute towards their vital shark conservation initiatives around the world. We will also be working together with the Trust to inspire divers, snorkellers and other travellers to take an active role – at home and abroad – in citizen science projects and other activities.”
Paul Cox, CEO of The Shark Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting partnership and we’re thrilled to be working with Diverse Travel to enable more divers and travellers to get involved with sharks and shark conservation. Sharks face considerable conservation challenges but, through collaboration and collective action, we can secure a brighter future for sharks and their ocean home. This new partnership takes us one more valuable step towards that goal.”
For more information about the Shark Trust visit their website here.
For more about Diverse Travel click here.
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