Stop 20 - Big Croc, Ghostnets Australia
This sculpture is rubbish. Literally. The 12 metre crocodile hanging above your head has been constructed from ghost net collected off our Northern Australian coast. Ghost net is a term used to describe abandoned fishing net that has accumulated in the Indian Ocean and washes up on our Northern shores, ensnaring animals and debris along its way. The most frequent type of net is from trawl fisheries. The Indian Ocean is an important fishing ground for all scales of fishing activity, from the subsistence fisher to extremely large 'factory' vessels. Many of these fisheries are unregulated making it difficult to understand exactly who is fishing in the region.
GhostNets Australia is a community based organisation which operates under the simple philosophy of “saltwater people working together”. Everyone, from ranger to researcher, who cares for the marine environment is described by the organisation as a saltwater person and by working together they hope to achieve change.
The organisation has supported Indigenous rangers from 40 different groups to continue their stewardship of their customary lands and adjacent marine environments
They have also found a creative re-use for the piles of marine rubbish that has generated into a new genre of art leading to purchases by prestigious art collectors, museums and galleries around the world.
They have begun to work on effective solutions to this complex issue by partnering with research organisations. As these floating nets cross jurisdictions of many agencies and governments a coordinated response is required and Ghostnets Australia is spearheading this initiative.
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