00:01Marine pollution is reaching alarming levels in both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
00:07Scientists warn that the greatest threat isn't what we see on the surface, it is what lies at the bottom
00:13of the sea.
00:14Among all marine debris, one type stands out as particularly dangerous, ghost fishing gear.
00:20These are fishing nets, lines and traps abandoned or lost at sea.
00:24Ghost fishing gear can continue to trap marine life for decades,
00:28slowly turning parts of the ocean into a fishing gear graveyard.
00:51A European project is working to make a change.
00:54The NetTag Plus initiative brings together scientists, engineers and fishermen
00:59to prevent and recover lost gear.
01:01Acoustic tags with a unique identifier are attached to the nets,
01:06allowing them to be tracked via a mobile app even from over two kilometers away.
01:11O que este sistema faz, e é um processo tradicional de localização acústica,
01:15é eu pergunto à tag número 24, 24, estás a�
01:22Começa a contar o tempo e ela responde, sim, estou aqui.
01:25Portanto, o tempo que o som demorou a ir e vir dá-me para calcular a distância.
01:30Portanto, eu agora sei a distância.
01:32For equipment already lost in the depth of the sea,
01:35a robotic system called IRIS uses sonar to locate it and map the seabed.
01:40These technologies were tested in Pauvoa de Vazim in northern Portugal
01:44with local fishermen, but the aim is for these solutions to be implemented at the European level.
02:09The hope is that, with better technology, stronger cooperation and more sustainable practices,
02:15the tide of coast gear can finally be turned.
02:18The end.
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