Indigenous rangers pull killer ‘ghost nets’ from Australia’s northern coast

Indigenous ranger teams across Groote Eylandt, Arnhem Land and elsewhere in northern Australia are removing tons of abandoned 'ghost nets' that drift in from Southeast Asian fisheries and entangle turtles, dugongs and sharks. One estimate cited puts turtle deaths from these nets between 4,000 and 14,000 a year, and Dhimurru rangers alone removed roughly 13 tons of debris in 2025 along 550 kilometers of shoreline.

Drones with AI detection have sped up the work — one team found 15 nets in four hours, versus three a day before — but disposal remains unsolved, with landfills full or refusing nets that may contain lead, leaving burning as a fallback. The Australian government has committed AU$25.1 million over four years, with the bulk funding continued cleanup and a smaller portion aimed at prevention through a regional partnership.

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