Ghost Net Art From Ghost Nets Australia

Ghost Nets are Marine Debris and one of the trillions of items in oceans killing marine life. Millions of miles of fishing nets get lost every year and GhostNets Australia came up a solution, to reuse the millions of fishing nets littering their beaches and killing animals. Starting out the Aboriginal Community of Queensland, Australia pulled together and initially removed 16,000 nets from beaches. This community of ‘saltwater people working together” from the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Torres Strait has taken creativity to a new level. In 2004, they formed GhostNets Australia, an alliance to get rid of the nets and find a way to reuse. Their many project include fashion accessories, basket weaving and my personal favorite giant ghost net sculptures.

Along the way, they have rescued turtles, provided jobs and income, showed a creative reuse and solutions for this deadly killer in our oceans.

Turtle, made by Ellarose Savage in 2012 from ghost nets. Acquired 2013 – Image Australia Museum

Community of Mapoon in Far North Queensland from materials assembled after a beach clean-up in June 2013. Image Tactual Textiles

Ghost Nets of the Ocean” is a collaboration between the Erub Arts Group, a collective of indigenous and non-indigenous Torres Strait artists, and the non-profit organisation, GhostNets Australia, funded by the Australian High Commission. Image: Asiangeo

Michael Norman Ghost Net Art at Pormpuraaw Art & Culture Centre Image Cape York Aboriginal Art

I usually find maybe a total of 50 feet of fishing line and have done some crafts, but nothing like this spectacular sea sculptures. Kudos to them for their environmental concern and sustainable leadership.

Resources

The Guardian

Ghost Fishing

Ailsan Pasen (Erub Arts) Fashion Accessories from Ghost Nets