The Ballito Pro festival introduces the 'Stop the Strangle' initiative, aiming to combat ghost gear pollution and engage local communities in ocean conservation efforts.
The organisers of the well-known Ballito Pro surfing festival have taken the initiative to help improve ocean conservation by tackling the scourge of “ghost gear”, which refers to abandoned fishing equipment.
The campaign, dubbed Stop the Strangle, has been included in this year's programme, which got under way last weekend at Willard Beach and concludes on Saturday.
Educating the public about the dangers posed by ghost gear is the main aim of the campaign, given the harm discarded fishing equipment causes to marine life.
Local communities are being encouraged to actively participate in the removal of hazardous debris from South Africa’s coastlines.
