Divers dredge up two tonnes of disused nets from Greek seabed

A diver inflates a lifting bag attached to a ghost fishing net on the seabed at the village of Stratoni near Halkidiki, Greece, May 18, 2019. Areti Kominou/Ghost Fishing Greece/Handout via REUTERS

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek and Dutch divers have removed two tonnes of discarded plastic fishing nets from the seabed in northern Greece, where they posed a risk to local marine life, including a rare endangered species of Mediterranean seahorse.

The nets from the coastal region of Stratoni will be recycled into yarn to create products like socks, sportswear, swimwear, and carpets, according to the Healthy Seas organization, which works in the North, Adriatic and Mediterranean seas to clear waste.

Since 2013 Healthy Seas has removed 453 tonnes of abandoned nets from the seabed. Because they are made of non-biodegradeable plastic, they could remain in the sea for hundreds of years. Virtually invisible, marine life can easily become entangled.

Divers swim between a ghost fishing net on the seabed in the village of Stratoni near Halkidiki, Greece, May 18, 2019. Picture taken May 18, 2019. Cor Kuyvenhoven/Ghost Fishing Greece/Handout via REUTERS

Each year some 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear is left in the sea, Healthy Seas said.

Greece is home to many endangered species, including sea turtles, seals and dolphins.

A diver swims next to a ghost fishing net in the village of Stratoni near Halkidiki, Greece, May 18, 2019. Picture taken May 18, 2019. Cor Kuyvenhoven/Ghost Fishing Greece/Handout via REUTERS

(Reporting by Reuters TV; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

A man pulls a ghost fishing net out of the water, in the village of Stratoni near Halkidiki, Greece, May 18, 2019. Picture taken May 18, 2019. Cor Kuyvenhoven/Ghost Fishing Greece/Handout via REUTERS

Divers collect ghost fishing net from the seabed at the village of Stratoni near Halkidiki, Greece, May 18, 2019. Areti Kominou/Ghost Fishing Greece/Handout via REUTERS

Divers inflate lifting bags attached to a ghost fishing net on the seabed at the village of Stratoni, near Halkidiki, Greece, May 18, 2019. Areti Kominou/Ghost Fishing Greece/Handout via REUTERS

An inflated lifting bag is seen attached to a ghost fishing net on the seabed at the village of Stratoni near Halkidiki, Greece, May 18, 2019. Areti Kominou/Ghost Fishing Greece/Handout via REUTERS

Inflated lifting bags attached to a ghost fishing net, float in front of the fishing boat at the village of Stratoni near Halkidiki, Greece, May 18, 2019. Areti Kominou/Ghost Fishing Greece/Handout via REUTERS