Ghost Net Awareness

I first learned about ghost nets as a 4ocean Ambassador. Back in November of 2022 they issued a new Ghost Net Bracelet (in green!!!) that was made from 100% 4ocean plastic with 4ocean-recovered ghost net in the bezel. It was described as a bracelet for, “raising awareness about the impact of ghost fishing on marine life.”

A ghost net is a fishing net that’s been lost or abandoned in the ocean. They are one particularly egregious part of the global ghost fishing problem, which includes fishing gear abandoned in the water. Any net or line left in the ocean can pose a threat to marine life.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

This was my first exposure to the harm commercial fishing, fishing done on a large scale, can do to our marine environments. As a result I drastically cut down on my seafood consumption, not that I ate that much to begin with since moving to Texas. It was a whole other story when my family lived in Louisiana. I used to love catfish, but the more I learned about filter feeders, bottom feeders and commercial fishing the less and less I wanted to eat marine life. Not the point of this article, but after watch Seaspiracy, which features the amazing Dr. Sylvia Earle, did me and my husband decide we would not eat any marine animal ever again. The destruction and devastation are too great.

Back to awareness. I’ve shared that I’m big on awareness and promoting causes I believe it so I love wearing my 4ocean bracelets to remind me either of the cause in question, here ghost nets, but also to reduce my overall consumption of materials and to try to be living and thinking in a little more green mindset at all times. Truth be told, I also love color-coordinating so I get to do that as well with their awareness bracelets and all the money from the bracelets goes directly back into the program for cleaning up our rivers, oceans and coastlines, our waterways all over the world. Each bracelet funds the removal of 5 pounds of trash from the world’s waters.

Above I show the Ghost Net Bracelet in Seafoam Green as I wear it with red for Christmas, black and and red for Kwanza and purple and gold for Mardi Gras (remember I’m from Louisiana!).

Here I show my winter holidays/December stack options:

Green and Red for Christmas

White and Blue for Winter/Hanukkah

Red, Green and Black for Kwanza

So I’ve usually got 10-15 pounds of trash pulled and recycled on my wrists reminding me to make greener choices. It’s also something I can do to help our oceans and marine life since I’m landlocked in the middle of Texas and can’t do beach or ocean cleanups, just creeks and ground litter.

If the idea of the ghost net bracelet or talking about that point really moves you, this bracelet now comes in gray and teal as well now. My 4ocean link is https://bit.ly/3G6qGrN and you can use my 20% off discount code: TAYLORYOUNGBLOOD20, for your first purchase. There’s a Pre-Black Friday Sale for 25% off happening right now too.

Side Note: The Ghost Net Bracelet was my favorite 4ocean bracelet until they came out with the Sea Turtle Rescue Bracelet, which also comes in Seafoam Green.

Here it is with my stuffed sea turtles, made from recycled plastic bottles. This is a bedtime photo so the color is dim but it’s the same color as the Ghost Net seafoam green.

I hope this article inspires you to learn more about ghost nets and the impact commercial fishing, commercial farming, commercial ranching, really any large scale food industry practice can have not only on that ecosystem but as byproducts on other areas, creatures, and systems.

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