Sea Shepherd Italia plays an essential role in protecting the health of our seas and their ecosystems. Since 2010, the organisation has worked alongside the Italian Coast Guard and the Guardia di Finanza (Italian Financial Police) through the SISO, Siracusa, Anguilla, Jairo Med and Ghostnet campaigns. Recognising the vital conservation work carried out by the organisation, Fondazione Iris Ceramica Group supports Sea Shepherd Italia as a Main Donor, primarily backing the Ghostnet Campaign, a project dedicated to recovering abandoned fishing gear and protecting marine ecosystems.

The positive impact of the organisation’s work over the years is reflected in the figures: hours spent underwater, metres of ghost nets recovered, animals rescued and gorgonian colonies replanted. From 2022 to 2026, five years of tireless work have been carried out by teams operating both below and above the surface of our seas. One figure perfectly captures the scale of this commitment: “A researcher averages thirty dives a year. A team like Sea Shepherd’s carries out thirty in a week.” — Giacomo Milisenda, SZN Anton Dohrn · Wired Italia.

By the end of 2026, the campaign had achieved significant results. Between April and October, the Ghostnet Team operated in five Italian locations: Genoa, Isola delle Femmine, Lipari, Syracuse and Chioggia. Across seven operations, the team removed 1,906 kg of fishing gear, 2,134 metres of ghost nets and 28 fishing systems. Activities involving both divers and surface support crews totalled 175 hours underwater and 257 hours of support at sea. Overall, the campaign recorded 2,729 hours of volunteer work throughout the year.

The campaign’s impact also extends directly to biodiversity: 25 animals were rescued alive from fishing nets, and 18 gorgonian colonies were replanted in the sea. A particularly significant operation took place in September in Syracuse, as part of Operation SISO. At Capo Negro and Ognina, a total of 1,440 kg of ghost nets were recovered, accounting for 76% of the total weight recovered in 2026, across 15 nets. The same operation also led to the seizure of 22 illegal fish aggregating devices (FADs) and the rescue of 18 animals.

Looking at the campaign’s overall figures, 2025 stands out as a record year in terms of fishing systems removed, with a total of 84. While the operation in Syracuse accounted for a substantial share of the total weight of recovered gear, 2026 also saw the campaign expand into the Ligurian Sea and, for the first time, into the Adriatic Sea, at the Tegnùe di Chioggia. These rocky outcrops are protected as a Special Area of Conservation within the Natura 2000 network. Here, the team removed approximately 20 metres of netting and cables.

2026 also marked a new phase in the development of the Ghostnet Campaign. The team completed 374 hours of in-water training, with every member achieving the GUE Fundamentals level. Other milestones included the first Ghostnet operational manual, Sea Shepherd’s first 360° VR video, the testing of the first SharkFAD prototype, developed to tackle FADs anchored at great depths, and the first operations to rescue gorgonian colonies directly during dives.

The 2026 results build on a journey that began in 2022. Over five years, the Ghostnet Campaign has removed a total of 15.7 tonnes of fishing gear, 11.4 km of nets and 156 fishing systems, carrying out approximately 1,110 hours of operational diving.

The work does not end at sea. The recovered equipment is brought ashore and sorted by material. Items that cannot be reused are disposed of appropriately, while others are sent to companies capable of transforming them into yarn or pellets. Recovered nets are classified as special waste, and finding ways to return them to the circular economy remains the next major challenge.

Through its support for the Ghostnet Campaign, Fondazione Iris Ceramica Group helps ensure the continuity of a project that brings together environmental volunteering, scientific research, innovation and cooperation with institutions to protect the Mediterranean, translating environmental commitment into concrete actions and measurable results.

Photo Credits: Claudio Palmisano