Volunteer and Support
Strandloper Project.
From our initial clean up dive in January 2018, it was apparent that we could develop a valuable data base of snagged recreational fishing tackle from our efforts.
We created the Strandloper Project, a research program to record information on accumalation rates, reef damage, entanglements and ghost fishing.
Volunteer Program.
Currently our clean up dive program is arranged on a volunteer basis with dives scheduled when sea and weather conditions are ideal.
All diving is free diving in depths of 2m to 8m. To date we have dived on three site which have become regular transects.
We currently dive at Gericke's Point, Paquita Wreck and in Kingfisher Creek.
Volunteer.

During diving the recovered fishing tackle is placed in a bucket which is attached to an inner tube and anchored.
After each dive the collected snagged fishing tackle is photographed, counted and the sinkers weighed and the data correlated to the respective transect. Records are also made of any dead fish found caught on the snagged fishing tackle.
We have been fortunate to have received sponsorship for some of our equipment, but would like to grow the clean up program and ultimately formalize an interest group to develop an awareness program of the contribution of recreational fishing to ghost fishing.
In October 2019 we plan to start with a series of talks to schools and interest groups on ghost fishing and the debris of recreational fishing on the Garden Route.
If you would like to contribute to the clean up program or would like to have our team talk at your school or society, please contact Mark by email.
If you would like to join us on a dive, follow our Face Book page and look out for the posted events.
Contributions can be made via PayPal and we will soon have a crowd funding program. |