The aim of the ‘Dive the North Sea clean’ is to strip as many shipwrecks along the North Sea costs from fishing nets, lines, hooks and lead. A lot of discarded fishing equipment is floating around under water, causing the death of many animals including porpoise and seals.

We are discussing alternative fishing methods and the use of degradable lines and nets with the gill net fishers and recreational fishers. We endeavour to have a good collaboration with the gill net fishers where they notify us when their nets are damagaed accidentally. This would enable us to take precautions and recover the net as soon as possible.

With the results of our work we also mean to draw attention to the sustainability of the North Sea. Our activities include multi-media lectures to businesses, schools, diving clubs and other organisations. We display our reasons for starting this big cleanup and demonstrate solutions that various organisations come up with for a healthier North Sea.

Very few people can imagine how beautiful the North Sea is. The countless shipwrecks on the sand bed create oases of life. Covered in magical plants, they are a home to many species of fish, crab and lobster. No wonder a busy wreck is very attractive to divers, fishermen and anglers. For centuries, great cod and sea bass have been caught in these places.

Sometimes a fishing net or line gets caught in sharp parts of the wreckage, lines are cut or leads are lost. Throughout the centuries these have started to become problematic and now they are a threat to wildlife.

The ripped nets and fishing hooks continue to catch fish – this is known as ghost fishing. Especially crabs and lobsters can get hopelessly caught.

The aim of our project is to give the inhabitants of the wrecks back their safe haven by removing nets, lines, hooks and lead and releasing trapped wildlife.