Ghost nets are harmful to marine life and their habitats. They can stretch more than 6 kilometers and weigh several tonnes. Ghost nets entangle, lacerate, and even strangle birds, turtles, dolphins, whales, and other marine life.

It was the first ghost nets workshop under the Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) Program. ATSEA is a regional partnership between the governments of Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.

The workshop was an opportunity for governments, First Nations representatives, and relevant organizations in the Arafura and Timor Seas region to come together. Indigenous rangers from the Gulf of Carpentaria shared their experience managing ghost nets with regional policymakers. This will help inform the next steps to address ghost nets in the region.

This workshop forms part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to support regional action to reduce ghost nets in the Arafura and Timor Seas.