WESSA’s Coastal Programme has launched Stop the Strangle, an urgent action campaign tackling one of the deadliest forms of marine pollution: ghost fishing gear. These are nets, lines, and traps abandoned or lost in the ocean, which continue to trap and kill marine life for years.

Why Ghost Gear matters

• An estimated 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear are lost in oceans every year
• Ghost gear makes up around 10% of all marine pollution
• It accounts for 70%–80% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
• Each year, over 100,000 marine mammals and more than a million seabirds, turtles, and sharks die due to entanglement

[sources: World Animal Protection; FAO and UNEP; WWF, Ocean Conservancy]

Action on the ground

Through the Stop the Strangle campaign, WESSA is driving awareness and community-led monitoring to reduce this threat along our own coastline. The campaign kicks off within the Green Coast network and is designed to scale over the next two years, engaging numerous partners and stakeholders.

In 2025, the campaign was featured at these high-profile coastal events, including::

• Chintsa Sardine Festival
• Ballito Pro Surfing Event
• Jeffreys Bay WSL Surf Event

We look forward to engaging with strategic partner events in 2026.

These activations aim to raise public awareness, encourage hands-on action, and spark conversations about sustainable ocean stewardship.

To get involved contact:
Mike Denison
WESSA Coastal Programme Senior Manager
Email: greencoast@wessa.co.za

WESSA Coastal Programme – Powered by The Ford Wildlife Foundation.

We are pleased to be working with: