A deep water trawl survey focusing on the slope and deep water biodiversity off Ghana in central West Africa. The survey has documented several fish species never before recorded in Ghanaian waters and, amid it all, human waste as far down as 1000 m depth. This research has revealed some frightening evidence of mans impact on mother earth.
The survey has done bottom trawl hauls at nearly 1000 m depth and 50 km from the coast, what came up are paint buckets, soda cans, plastic debris and a shoe insole. Unfortunately, these are not just “lucky hits”. The trawl brought up evidence of human activities, mainly plastics that do not easily break down, “ghost” fishing nets, polyethylene ropes etc, as well as metal containers and other more degradable debris.
These human wastes concentrated in oceans by current systems. Upstream from us is an oil platform. However, it is as far away as the shore. Not all vessels follow the regulations intended to limit disposal of waste imposed on them by various international bodies. Dumping of garbage at sea still poses a serious international pollution problem. Unlike on land there is no easy means of retrieval, sorting and recycling of plastic waste that enters into the ocean environment.
