Transforming Old Fishing Nets: A Key Component in Tackling the Climate Crisis

Kyle de Bouter proudly displays a pair of Patagonia board shorts crafted from recycled fishing nets, grinning as workers in the background cut up old nylon nets and stack them into large bales. "This is what it's all about," he says enthusiastically.

Brikole, a startup "circular business" under De Bouters company, is focused on recycling discarded nets from the industrial tuna fishing industry. The founder observed the accumulation of nets at the main port in the capital city and saw an opportunity to not only create a source of income for himself, but also contribute to waste reduction and job creation. His vision is to hire locals to repurpose the nets into various products such as bags, hammocks, and board shorts.

While international efforts are aimed at encouraging large companies from developed countries to embrace sustainability, the significance of small and medium businesses in developing countries is often underestimated. Research indicates that these businesses account for over 90% of commercial activity and employ the majority of the global workforce, yet they are often less involved in sustainability initiatives. According to the United Nations, only 7.2% of used materials are currently being recycled back into the global economy, a decline from 9.1% in 2018.

Kyle de Bouter proudly displays board shorts crafted from recycled Nylon fishing nets, mirroring the very nets he is devoted to repurposing. His company is committed to producing a range of products exclusively from nets recycled in the Seychelles.

Paul Glader/CNN

Finding a net positive

Seychelles, a small nation of around 100,000 inhabitants situated in the Indian Ocean, boasts a vast 1.3 million square kilometers of marine territory that surrounds its archipelago of 115 islands. The leaders and institutions of Seychelles are continuously seeking ways to combat climate change and promote development on their islands. Given that the region is ideal for fishing, particularly tuna fishing, many in Seychelles see these industries as a promising starting point.

Approximately 48 tuna ships from various countries, such as Spain, France, and South Korea, operate in the waters of the Seychelles. They use large nets to catch over 400,000 metric tons of tuna annually, unloading about 62,000 metric tons at a canning factory in the Victoria port. This industry contributes more than 5% to the country's GDP and accounts for around 68% of total exports, second only to the tourism sector. However, the mile-long nylon nets used by these ships create significant litter as they wear out and accumulate at the shipyards.

At just 19 years old, Joshua Tiatouse is employed at Brikole, where he diligently uses a knife to slice through large fishing nets, transforming them into smaller panels that can be recycled and repurposed for new nylon products. Tiatouse is driven by his passion to work in a sustainable industry.

Government ministers, the fishing industry, and the port authority all recognized the importance of addressing the issue and were instrumental in providing vocal support for De Bouter's seemingly straightforward project when it faced operational challenges.

A blue economy idea

The Seychelles is strategically positioned to embrace the concept of the "blue economy," which the World Bank defines as the "sustainable use of ocean resources to benefit economies, livelihoods and ocean ecosystem health." According to the United Nations, the blue economy is estimated to be worth over $1.5 trillion annually on a global scale, providing employment to over 30 million people and serving as a source of sustenance for more than 3 billion individuals each year.

Seychelles has a governmental "Department of Blue Economy," with roadmaps to guide ocean use and development. Small island nations like Seychelles face unique vulnerabilities as they are dependent on the ocean for survival, but also face the impacts of climate change such as rising sea levels, changing rainfall patterns, and acid damage to coral reefs.

The United Nations highlights the potential for a 40% reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through the more circular use of concrete, steel, plastics, and aluminum. Several successful examples in Kosovo, Ghana, and the Philippines demonstrate the creation of circular economy models.

View of the port in the city of Victoria, in the island of Mahé, Seychelles, on August 19, 2023.

Eduardo Soteras/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Sylvanna Antat, who heads the Blue Economy Research Institute at the University of Seychelles, believes that while the island has provided some support for entrepreneurs, there is still room for growth. She and others are advocating for the creation of an incubator that can provide space for young entrepreneurs.

"Small island states are at the forefront of the blue economy," stated former Seychelles president James Alix Michels in an article for The Nation in October. Michel, who is participating in COP 28 in Dubai this month, had previously expressed concern about the disappearance of some uninhabited islands in Seychelles. He emphasized the importance of innovative young entrepreneurs in building a better society, citing the example of recycling fishing nets.

Slowed by snags

Originally, de Bouter had the intention of recycling the nets and manufacturing nylon products within Seychelles. This involved acquiring, transporting, cleaning, drying, and shredding the nets, then passing them through an extruder to create nylon pellets that could be used to produce fabric and other goods. However, he quickly became aware of the numerous challenges he would have to overcome. The cost of electricity for businesses in Seychelles is three times higher than in Western countries. In addition, high rental expenses and sporadic supplies of nets further complicated the process.

De Bouter has entered into partnerships with tuna fishing industry organizations in Spain and France. As a result, companies and ship captains from these countries operating in Seychelles waters are being urged to donate their discarded nets to Brikole.

Julio Morón, the managing director of the Spanish tuna fishing organization OPAGAC, stated, "This is addressing the issue of worn-out fishing nets." In return for the donated nets, Brikole commits to maintaining employment for Seychelles workers, allocating a portion of profits to community projects, and acknowledging fishing companies from Spain and France as sponsors.

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The Seychelles' blue economy

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De Bouter opted not to send the recycled nylon to China due to concerns about the environment, labor, and transparency. Instead, he found a solution in Bureo, a California-based company that is dedicated to tackling the problem of 18 billion pounds of plastic being dumped into the ocean each year. Bureo's focus is on removing what it deems to be the most harmful form of plastic - fishing nets - from the oceans. After de Bouter's team collects the nets, cuts them up, and ships them to Bureo in California, the company then transforms the fishing nets into nylon pellets. These pellets are used to create Bureo's "NetPlus" material, which is utilized in the production of fabrics, sunglasses, and other products by popular brands such as Patagonia, Yeti, and Trek.

Bureo, under the leadership of global sourcing manager Manuel Sigren, is working on creating a line of NetPlus products specifically for the Seychelles market using recycled fishing nets from the Seychelles. With Brikole already recycling over 500 tons of fishing nets last year, there is potential for Seychelles to contribute up to 25% of Bureo's total nylon production in the future. As a result, Bureo is planning to establish a nylon processing center in Africa or Asia within the next two years to process nets regionally instead of shipping them across oceans.

The nylon industry generates $31 billion in annual revenues for companies like DuPont, BASF, and DOMO Chemicals, as reported by Grandview Research, and is projected to grow at a rate of 5% per year. Brikole and Bureo's work indicates that a larger portion of this revenue could come from recycled nylon rather than newly manufactured nylon.

Next steps for Brikole

When notified by tuna companies about available nets for donation, de Bouter arranges for a crane and other necessary equipment to be rented, and then transported to his workspace located near the shipyards. At this location, his team of six workers diligently untangle the nets, utilizing sharpened kitchen knives to expertly cut them into panels measuring 2 by 3 meters.

Joshua Tiatousse, a 19-year-old employee of Brikole, says he wanted to work in a sustainable business.

Paul Glader/CNN

Tiatousse, 19, was cutting nylon nets in the concrete courtyard behind Brikoles warehouse office. He stood barefoot, listening to reggae music on his headphones. "A friend told me about the job," he said.

Upon receiving nylon fabric samples from Bureo, which are made entirely from the nylon nets Brikole acquired, de Bouter intends to send the fabrics to a local art and design school. The school's students will then brainstorm ideas for products, providing local creative input into the final products produced by the partners.