Cornish fishing net recycling project fights plastic pollution

Broken fishing nets usually end up in landfill or incinerators and can even be discarded in the sea, creating a huge risk to sealife. They're made of nylon and will never rot away but a Cornish recycling scheme could be the solution.

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17 ports, including Mevagissey, have signed up to the net regeneration scheme, which is being piloted in the South West. It is free to fishermen but the harbour authorities contribute to the costs.

Odyssey Innovation has come up with a way to collect the nets and turn them into kayaks - the world's only marine-recycled kayaks. It also collects broken nets and plastic from the sea. It is now seeking funding to extend the project. Clare James says "Our aim is to expand to more harbours so we can take more fishing nets and re-purpose them into different products and so thereby recycling the plastic that would otherwise end up in the oceans.''

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Husband and wife team Jasper and Dr Elke Graham-Jones are carrying out research on the project for Plymouth University and universities in Brittany, where fishing fleets have also signed up to the scheme. Jasper explains the situation succinctly:

Odyssey Innovation's net regeneration project is one way to make fishing fleets more sustainable and our waters a cleaner place by tackling plastic pollution.

• Watch Kathy Wardle's report on the fishing net regeneration project