Where do the GPS buoys used for Project ReCon originate?
The international commercial fishing industry uses GPS buoys to track fishing gear.
Between 46,000 and 65,000 GPS buoys are deployed annually in the Pacific Ocean alone. Fishing gear can drift from fishing grounds, be lost during severe weather, or stop functioning, which can result in both the gear and attached GPS buoys becoming marine debris. These can wash ashore or become entangled on reefs.
What do we do with buoys that wash up as marine debris?
Project ReCon enables international commercial fishing fleets to reassign recovered buoys found in the environment to Tangaroa Blue Foundation. These buoys are then repurposed in collaboration with Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) partners to track and remove ghost gear.
In collaboration with Satlink, a leading technology provider in the fishing industry, an increasing number of fishing companies and vessels are contributing additional GPS buoys to support the program.