Fish Net Zero

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Fish Net Zero 🌊 Fish Net Zero
A Green Britain Foundation project tackling ghost gear and marine debris in UK waters and on UK Beaches.

Ghost net recovery, habitat protection, and ocean conservation. About Fish Net Zero
Fish Net Zero is a frontline marine conservation project working to remove abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) — also known as ghost gear — from UK coastal waters. We operate from Grimsby on the East Coast and the West Coast of Scotland, using trained volunteer divers and crew to recover lost fishing gear that continues to trap, entangle, and kill marine wildlife. Our recovery efforts take place aboard our dedicated vessels Nemesis and Banshee, reaching remote sites often overlooked in mainstream conservation work. We are proudly part of the Green Britain Foundation, a charity focused on reducing climate impact and protecting ecosystems across the UK. In addition to ghost gear recovery, our work includes:

* Marine habitat monitoring and underwater research
* Support for seagrass and biodiversity restoration projects
* Education and outreach to raise awareness of marine pollution
* A growing network of organised beach cleans targeting coastal plastic waste and other debris

Our mission is simple: to protect marine life, preserve vital habitats, and support a cleaner, healthier ocean for future generations — both beneath the surface and along the shore. Follow us for updates from our dives, beach cleans, and conservation campaigns. Get involved by volunteering, donating, or simply sharing our work.

FishNet Zero inaugural Sker beach clean11th October 202617 fab crew29 bags + rope, tyres and wheels = 209 Kg removed. So...
14/10/2026

FishNet Zero inaugural Sker beach clean
11th October 2026
17 fab crew
29 bags + rope, tyres and wheels = 209 Kg removed.

Soft Cells ‘say hello wave goodbye’ was in my mind as we approached Sker beach for the first time. We've been cleaning Coney for the last 5 years so changing location was a really big deal…and well out of our comfort zone. We pretty well knew every rock on Coney and now we were confronted by a vast, beautiful very blank canvas.

We’ve wanted to have a go at Sker for some time but as the locals know it’s one hell of a walk to get there from any direction…and then you have to get back too. To make the most of our time cleaning, we were looking how to get our crew there as easily as possible…and thanks to some fab connections (thank you Ian and Gareth) our guardian angel rocked up in a rather natty 4x4, 6 seat buggy…with a tail gate.

Jasmine the Warden at the Kenfig Nature Reserve was our saviour. She not only took us and our equipment there, but she also brought us, the equipment and 209 kilos of rubbish back to the reserve.

Those lovely people at Kenfig Nature reserve also shared our posters with very short notice which meant we were joined with some fab new faces along with our usual dedicated crew…the day just got better and better.

The cleaning was also so rewarding on Sker as it was predominantly marine debris, washed up by the tides. We knew we were making a real difference to this very special environment and to all the animals that live there.

There was very little ‘just dropped’ waste which we used to find on Coney. Not a nappy, a b**r glass, a fag butt, a food carton…none of that ‘walking away while no one’s looking rubbish’ that is so frustrating to find on a tourist beach.

The geography also enabled two types of cleaning. A lot of debris was on the flat so could be retrieved while walking along. Or for more of a workout, cleaning involving stumbling up the shear pebbles and digging the debris out as so much was embedded. So, although it was out of the way, we are comfortable in the future of inviting all ages along to help out, knowing there is plenty to be done for everyone.

With Jasmine and her buggy we were also able to stagger the length of time our crew needed at the beach. For those that could only help for a short time they left the beach when they needed to while those more adventurous cleaners could go further and still have a lift back.

After our initial anxiety of a new place to clean, the day turned out better than we could ever have thought…and with over 200 kgs of rubbish that isn’t going back into the ocean too…what’s not to love😊

Thank you to Keep Wales Tidy for supplying the bags and a huge thank you to Rob and the council crew for taking everything away to be separated and recycled. We really are part of a fab network all pulling together

Our next Sker beach clean is pencilled in for Sunday November 15th

Just because we are now out of sight we aren’t out of mind…Fireworks I hear you say…yup we’ll be there on Coney for those too.

In the meantime, if you find any large ghost nets or fishing debris on the beach let us know and we’ll be there to remove it and have it recycled into something more humane.

Check our Fish Net Zero page on FB and Insta for our beach cleans or have a look in the pantri-box window for our poster.

It’s for their Ocean!

25/09/2026

Fish Net Zero beach clean at Craignarget, 25 September 2026.
Despite a brisk, windy day, our regular beach cleaners collected an impressive 77 kilos of litter from the beautiful shoreline near Auchenmalg.
Thank you to for sponsoring the clean, for collecting the rubbish, and Margot for the lovely vegan post-clean treats.
Another great community effort to help keep our coastline clean and cared for.

11/08/2026

Last weekend was a weekend of doing what we do best on Fish Net Zero. Saving Marine Wildlife.

Our fantastic team of divers, made up of Spud, Dai, Harry, Njabs, Joe and Kris, ably accompanied by our crew of Lu, Sarah, Jonny and Mark made two dives in the North Sea from our vessel Nemesis recovering lost fishing gear.

Wildlife trapped in the ghost gear was freed and plenty of gear was removed from the sea bed.

This is the first of three videos from the weekend showing how satisfying it is to free marine life from being trapped for the rest of their lives.

Follow our page for the next videos!

Huge shout out to CCL Fleet Management for their support.





28/07/2026

The sun always shines for us at Old Hunstanton! It’s our "𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 place" —even when we’re confronted with the array of debris! The scene, however, never fails to bring smiles: the queue of people and dogs eagerly awaiting the opening of the Old Town Beach Cafe, the colourful kite surfers dancing on the wind, and the vast expanse of sand, for exploring and scouring whilst the tide is out. The beach was noticeably less busy, though. We'd chosen a day that coincided with sooooo many local events!! ..𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐦, though, made up for the fact we had a small team. The volume of rubbish we collected was a grim surprise for us all. PANTS!!! Odd shoes. Left behind beach balls. Odd socks. Crisp packets. Kite string. Flip-flops. Biscuit wrappers. Lost shorts. Lost bikini 👙 Plastic cups. Polystyrene pieces. Food wrappers. Alcohol cans. FILLED nappy!! Coke cans. Pepsi cans. Fishing rope. Bagged dog poo. Fishing line. Plastic cutlery. Tent pegs. Plastic bottles. Plastic bowls. Odd watersports sock. Stinky tissues. Left-behind, plastic beach toys. Cigarette butts. And, of course, a balloon with plastic cord 🎈…GRRrR!! ...𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙜𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣. Deflated balloons and their plastic strings end up entangling wildlife.
We’ve also noticed a rise in the number of wet wipes, again 😌 —some of which are coated in, well… suspicious substances 💩

"Beach ready" Barbie had a BLAST!!

20/07/2026

Fireworks ...again!

All footage taken from Porthcawl and surrounding coast
credits:Julia, Gareth, Elkz

17/07/2026

Well, that’s not something you see every day in Scotland—sunshine, blue skies and not a breath of wind!
A small group of us headed down to Monreith beach via Kelton Steps. That’s over 150 steps down to the beach... and over 150 back up again, which we managed rather more times than we’d originally planned!
Some kind souls had already gathered a sizeable pile of litter at the bottom of the steps, but understandably hadn’t fancied the climb back to the top with it. So, on went the gloves and we put our leg muscles to good use, making several trips up and down before giving the beach around the steps a thorough sweep in the glorious heat.
One thing that never fails to baffle us is finding bagged dog poo left behind. There’s a bin at the top of the steps, not much effort needed to carry it up!
By the end of the session we’d collected 56kg of litter, and with the job done there was only one sensible way to cool off—a well-earned dip in the sea.
We will be back soon as the beach further along is needing some TLC.
Many thanks to everyone who came along. Great company, a productive morning, and another beautiful stretch of coastline looking a little better than we found it.
Thank you to 3b construction for your sponsorship

It’s been a week of two halves (and two nations!) for our Fish Net Zero ghost gear retrieval crews.While the footy resul...
16/07/2026

It’s been a week of two halves (and two nations!) for our Fish Net Zero ghost gear retrieval crews.

While the footy results didn’t go England’s way last night, our Scottish contingent had a different kind of 'match report' to file!

The Scotland Squad (Score: Mass Haul!)
While the match was on, our team took 'Banshee' (our RHIB) out and faced down a formidable opponent. The final result? An enormous haul of ghost gear! (Check out that net in the images!) They cleared a massive amount of deadly net, creel pots, and rope, scoring the ultimate goal: freeing trapped marine life, including several extremely grateful crabs.

The England Squad (Score: Clean Sheet!)
Over the weekend, our crew in England took the flagship 'Nemesis' to a North Sea wreck we’d never dived. The result? Barely a single trace of ALDFG. While it’s always slightly deflating not to bring up a huge pile of gear, the English team secured the most important victory: A Clean Sheet!

It's easy to feel let down when there's "no action," but we should all celebrate a wreck with zero deadly nets. This is proof that sometimes, doing your job means finding nothing, and that’s a massive win for the local wildlife. Sunday’s winds unfortunately benched the Nemesis crew, but they are already strategising for the next fixture.

Well done to all volunteers on both squads! Show your support by following our page.

Whatever the scoreline, the real winners this weekend were the North Sea and West Coast ecosystems!

Beach Clean with Port William Primary P4 & P5 Wednesday 24th June. As part of the school’s ocean project , Fish Net Zer...
02/07/2026

Beach Clean with Port William Primary P4 & P5 Wednesday 24th June.
As part of the school’s ocean project , Fish Net Zero was delighted to welcome 24 pupils from P4 & P5, along with their teachers from Port William Primary School, for a beach clean at Second Sands, Port William.
The pupils walked an impressive 1 1/2 miles round trip from the school to the beach and back, ready to make a difference as well as covering a large stretch of the beach. Working in pairs for just 30 minutes, these amazing little hands collected over 20kg of litter from the shoreline.
One of the most important parts of the day was learning what belongs on the beach and what doesn’t. The children discovered why it’s important to remove plastics and litter while leaving natural items such as shells, driftwood and seaweed where they belong. Building this understanding at a young age helps create lifelong respect for our coastlines and oceans.
The enthusiasm, teamwork and energy shown by every pupil was fantastic to see, and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We were also touched to receive a lovely thank-you card from the school.
A huge thank you to all the pupils and staff at Port William Primary School for taking part. Educating and inspiring young people is one of the best ways to protect our marine environment for generations to come.

30/06/2026

Our most recent group clean-up at Old Hunstanton exceeded our expectations, as far as numbers of attendees, whilst we started off small...we grew and grew in numbers. Helpers arrived in dribs and drabs, —so no photograph of us altogether. Unfortunately, though, 38KG of debris accumulated within a short space of time. Every beach clean we're doing, we are finding more and more "left behind", forgotten or discarded plastic toys. We are able to recycle ♻️ these. Despite the rise in va**ng paraphernalia, tossed away last year, we are finding there's still the continuing increase in cigarette butts on beaches. One of the locals who joined in had 15 bags of bagged dog poo in their sack!! Have a look through the video to see the variety of litter we're collecting; disposable BBQs, plastic lids, plastic toys, ice lolly wrappers and plastic sticks, glass bottles, odd shoe, odd socks, un**es, broken spades, clothes peg, metal cutlery, polystyrene containers, polythene, drinks cans, fishing net, fishing line, crisp packets, Geography homework, wind-breaker packaging.... What else can you spot? Everyone is welcome to join in with us! Come along next time

Thank you everyone. We made a difference...

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Lion House
Stroud
GL53BY

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