Abandoned fishing gear endangering marine life

Tonnes of abandoned fishing gear left in the sea and on beaches is endangering marine life, a charity has said.

Diver Stephen Smith said volunteers for the charity Clean Planet UK removed two tonnes of abandoned or lost "ghost" fishing nets, line and rope from the sea between Hartlepool and Saltburn last year.

Crustaceans and fish become entangled in the gear, which can also damage coral reefs.

Mr Smith said his team was also collecting abandoned lobster pots, which can trap and kill marine life.

"Last year we recovered a record amount of lost fishing gear and recycled about two tonnes," he said.

"People need to take a bit more responsibility when visiting beaches, we see it every summer, they leave all their rubbish which may not seem a lot to them, but it causes havoc to marine life."

Mr Smith said lobster pots lost in storms were also posing a threat by trapping crustaceans.

"Everybody knows that the sea is in a bad state with litter and doing nothing is not an option - we need to start acting now," he added.

Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to [email protected].