The aim of the Goast Ocean project is to address the challenges of scalable collection of sub-surface waste by fishermen. Today, fishing boats are not specifically equipped to conduct the retrieval of marine litter from the sea. To bring up the litter from the seafloor is risky as nets can get entangled in coral reefs while disturbances to seafloor sediments release nutrients and heavy metals as well as other articles. 

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Combining marine litter retrieval with fishing at the same time is not easy for the fishermen. There are currently few incentives since marine litter retrieval has limited economic value. 

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The scope of the Ghost Ocean project contains collaboration with the GhostNetWork as well as local fishermen in Peniche in the "Fishermen Collection of Marine Waste from the Ocean". In order to reach our goal, safe and sustainable solutions for the recovery of marine waste will be developed – following international guidelines and standards. By preparing an incentive program for the fishermen participating in waste collection work, the trapped values in the fishing community could be unlocked.