Kategorie: News
DLRG training camp combined with a GRD ghost net salvage operation
For the first time in the history of DLRG Halle-Saalekreis e.V., one of the regular training camps was combined with the recovery of abandoned fishing nets. Thanks to the cooperation between the Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delphine e.V. (GRD) and the DLRG over the Whitsun weekend, a trawl net around twelve metres long was rendered harmless. Head of operations Andreas Triebel emphasised both the cooperation and the training objective as particularly positive.
DLRG divers with a clear mission:
Bringing fishing waste to the surface
The rapid rescue of people who have been involved in accidents is just as much a part of the DLRG emergency divers' tasks as preventive hazard defence or the recovery of vehicles from rivers and lakes. At first glance, the recovery of dangerous fishing debris seems out of the ordinary, but Andreas Triebel saw good reasons to combine the most recent DLRG Halle-Saalekreis e.V. training camp with a GRD ghost net recovery: "The aim was to fulfil our statutory duties, which include saving the lives of animals and people as well as protecting the environment. After all, these nets are made of plastic and contribute significantly to marine pollution."
The training camp in the form of a ghost net recovery, which was organised in collaboration with the GRD, met with great interest at DLRG Halle-Saalekreis e.V: Seven divers and two boatmen, together with GRD cooperation partner and ghost net expert Wolfgang Frank and long-time netman Robert Röske, headed for a wreck six nautical miles off the coast of Rügen - and had immediate success. A trawl around twelve metres long was discovered, detached from the stern of the former merchant ship and brought to the surface with the help of lifting bags.
Andreas Triebel expressed his satisfaction: "The fact that we achieved our goal of salvaging the net on the very first day - and such a large trawl at that - is extremely motivating for all of us. I personally didn't expect that." The DLRG incident commander also noted that the basic procedures, which were explained in detail in the briefing in advance, worked smoothly. "In view of the fact that the Baltic Sea is not part of the DLRG Halle-Saalekreis e.V.'s home waters, this is extremely positive," explained Triebel.
Positive conclusion of all participants
On Sunday, the programme included diving various suspected locations off the coast of Sassnitz. At depths of up to 17 metres, the DLRG divers recovered both net parts and rubbish. At the same time, their underwater work helped to verify locations with possible ghost nets and to ensure that some suspected locations did not require any further attention.
The premiere of the DLRG training camp, which was combined with a ghost net recovery for the first time, was considered a complete success by all those involved - a continuation is desired. The Munich-based dolphin and marine conservation organisation also drew a positive conclusion, especially as divers' interest in volunteering for the protection of the Baltic Sea and its inhabitants was once again awakened. The GRD has already provided numerous divers with the expertise required for net salvage with the ghost net salvage workshop introduced in 2022. Both the free seminars and the ghost net recoveries are made possible by financial contributions from GRD supporters and the German Postcode Lottery.
Video:
youtube.com/watch?v=Vl7IVFDKprg