Tangle, a sustainable brand specializing in dog products, is dedicated to preventing ghost nets from polluting our oceans. They collaborate with fishermen at ports to tackle this issue at its source. Tangle has partnered with Ghost Fishing UK, a charity focused on removing ghost nets from UK waters, to address the problem comprehensively.

Since its launch in 2022, Tangle has been actively preventing fishing nets from entering the waters by creating premium dog products made from recycled fishing nets. This year, they aim to prevent over 500 tennis courts’ worth (137,800 sqm) of fishing nets from becoming ghost nets.

In addition to their prevention efforts, Tangle supports Ghost Fishing UK in removing existing ghost nets from the ocean. Ghost fishing nets account for nearly half of the ocean’s plastic pollution in some areas and pose a severe threat to marine life. These nets entangle and kill marine creatures for many years.

Sam Cartwright and Xavier Warburton, the Co-Founders of Tangle, established the business to combat the ghost net problem by repurposing fishing nets into long-lasting dog products. They aim to raise awareness and encourage responsible action from large fishing companies to protect the environment.

Tangle’s approach involves working directly with ports to incentivize fishermen to exchange or donate their end-of-life nets, preventing them from being discarded in the ocean. Furthermore, they actively collaborate with Ghost Fishing UK to remove ghost nets already present in the ocean.

Ghost Fishing UK, founded in 2015, trains volunteer scuba divers to survey and recover lost fishing gear. Tangle contributes to the charity through product sales and actively volunteers in retrieving lost fishing gear.

The support from businesses like Tangle is crucial for organizations like Ghost Fishing UK to act and recover these harmful nets. Tangle’s focus on addressing the ghost net problem aligns with Ghost Fishing UK’s mission, and their collaboration will save numerous marine animals.

Sam emphasizes the importance of the volunteer-run organization’s work in protecting marine life. Through Tangle, they aim to raise awareness of Ghost Fishing UK and the ghost net issue within the passionate community of pet owners.

Commenting on Tangle’s mission, Xavier Warburton said:

“We’re all aware of the impact of plastic bottles and straws, but in reality, ghost nets make up nearly half of all plastics in our oceans in some places and they’re far more deadly to marine life. Lost or discarded nets continue to ‘ghost’ around the ocean entangling and killing marine life so unnecessarily.  

“When Sam and I met and started talking about creating a business together, our whole motivation was to stop ghost fishing nets entering the ocean and to make a new reusable product by recycling the nets. It’s hard for governments to pin down exactly who’s to blame here, which is why we feel it’s even more important to increase the awareness of this problem to encourage large fishing companies to act responsibly and try their best to protect the natural environment.  

“The approach we took to combatting this issue was going directly to the source and working with ports to offer fishers an incentive to exchange or donate their end-of-life nets, preventing them from potentially being discarded in the ocean. But, we are always wanting to do more. As well as preventing nets going into the ocean, we want to remove the nets already there. And that’s when we reached out to Ghost Fishing UK.” 

Xavier Warburton, the Co-Founders of Tangle