Students have created a biodegradable fishing net to limit plastic pollution in the oceans

Three students have created a natural and 100% biodegradable fishing net, with the aim of limiting plastic pollution in the oceans. Their project was rewarded in a competition sponsored by Mike Horn.

Victor Le Chevalier, Jonathan Benguigui and William Fleith are in business school in Lyon and have created an innovative project. The three students designed a fish net biodegradable which would take only one year to degrade at sea, compared to 600 years for a synthetic fishing net.

'The project, BioNet, which we developed in January 2022, consists of replacing the synthetic net with a net of biodegradable fibers' , explained Victor Le Chevalier.

Crédit photo : @bionet_pangaeax

The net proposed by the three students is made of hemp, a natural material and 100% biodegradable .

Limit pollution in the oceans

With this invention, the students' goal is to replace synthetic fishing nets and limit the pollution in the oceans. Every year, 640,000 tons of trash are found on the ocean floor, from fishing gear lost at sea.

“In just a few years, we have seen an increase in debris from fishing nets , Victor said. Myself, alone, in one hour, I estimated them at a third of the plastic waste collected on the beach. »

Crédit photo : @bionet_pangaeax

To promote their innovation, the three students submitted their fishing net to the Pangeae X contest, sponsored by famed adventurer Mike Horn. On Friday, September 16, they finally won the top prize. The students won a grant of 10,000 euros, which will enable them to launch their project.

Subsequently, the three students want to develop their biodegradable nets and test them with local fishermen. They also won an expedition to Greenland aboard Mike Horn's boat, which will take place next March.