A huge ghost net about 50 meters long (about 164 ft) was discovered during a sailing trip north of Sidna Ali Beach, also known as Nof Yam Beach, in Herzliya, with dead marine animals trapped inside.
An inspection found that the net, located at a depth of about 8 meters, had trapped a loggerhead sea turtle and groupers, all of which were found dead. The initial report was submitted through Sea Watch, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel’s marine reporting app.
The sea turtle and grouper found trapped to death in the ghost net north of Sidna Ali Beach
(Bar Sternbach, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel)
Following the report, a team went to the area for an initial inspection. The findings confirmed the details submitted through the app: a heavy, massive net stretching for dozens of meters along the seabed, whose removal would require special preparations due to its size and weight.
After weeks of coordination and attempts to find the right team and suitable sea conditions, the complex and lengthy operation to remove the net from the water was completed last Sunday. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel recruited a team specializing in underwater work. Four divers and additional crew members sailed aboard the MAYAM to the location where the net was pulled from the sea.
To the team’s dismay, a loggerhead sea turtle and groupers of various sizes had been trapped in the net and died.
Pulling the ghost net from the sea north of Sidna Ali Beach
(Video: Bar Sternbach, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel)
During the sail to the site, the team identified another ghost net in the area. It too was massive and complex, and would require a separate, lengthy operation to remove. Because of the difficulty involved, it could not be handled during the latest operation and will require another trip out to sea.
The operation brings the number of ghost nets removed from Israeli waters by the Society for the Protection of Nature to six since the start of the year.
“This incident once again demonstrates the grim reality in the Israeli sea, where our teams are working to clean up equipment left behind by irresponsible fishing activity,” said Bar Sternbach, Sea Watch coordinator and marine projects manager at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.
“This is a recurring phenomenon: nets and fishing waste remain in the sea and continue to trap and kill animals indiscriminately. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, with the help of professional diving teams, funds and coordinates the removal of these nets from the sea.”
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Loggerhead sea turtle found dead after being trapped in the ghost net
(Photo: Bar Sternbach, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel)
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Attempting to free a grouper trapped in the ghost net
(Photo: Bar Sternbach, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel)
Sternbach said time is a critical factor because every day a ghost net remains in the water, it continues to endanger marine animals and even humans. That risk is especially high during the Mediterranean breeding season, which begins for most species in March and peaks between April and June.
“This incident took place exactly during the period defined by the Fisheries Department as the breeding season, which requires restrictions on fishing activity,” Sternbach said. “The Fisheries Department has the authority to enforce such restrictions, but in practice made the opposite decision: allowing the use in May of nonselective fishing gear, including standing nets, which can cause especially severe harm to the marine ecosystem at the most sensitive time for groupers, sea turtles and cartilaginous fish.”
“In this case, the sea turtle and fish found in the net did not survive, but removing it prevented further harm to marine animals and removed a dangerous and polluting hazard from the water,” he added.
The Sea Watch app allows the public to report hazards and sightings from the sea in real time, helping protect the marine environment in the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Eilat. Since its launch, it has been downloaded by more than 26,000 users, who have submitted more than 6,400 reports on illegal fishing, injured animals, pollution, waste and other hazards.
In addition to reporting hazards, users can also submit sightings of marine wildlife, including Mediterranean slipper lobster, invasive species, sea turtles, marine mammals and others. Each report is sent directly to the relevant enforcement and response authorities, while the reporter’s details remain confidential, allowing anyone who cares about the sea to take an active role in protecting it.