71-year-old ‘ghost net destroyer’ throws himself into Hong Kong’s marine health

Chan Tin Ming and his team set out to search for a “ghost net” in Hong Kong, southern China, June 27, 2024. Photo: Xinhua

A deep dive in the waters off Trio Island, a 50-minute boat ride from Sai Kung in Hong Kong, allows Chan Tin Ming to feel time slow down as he searches for “ghost nets” – lost and abandoned fishing nets.

“Quick! There’s a big one who caught a groper,” shouted a diver from Chan’s 16-person team.

The other divers huddled around the maroon net, stretched across rocks 8.8 meters below sea level, and began to pull it apart. While Chan cut the net, Yung Hau Tsuen, 19, an environmental science student at the University of Hong Kong, kept him from getting tangled in the net.

Chan Tin Ming adjusts his equipment before diving in Hong Kong, southern China, June 27, 2024. Photo: Xinhua

Half an hour later, the net was brought to the surface in pieces to be thrown into a boat designated to collect ocean waste. Mission accomplished, Chan floated with a proud smile.

Chan has been cleaning beaches in Hong Kong and removing ghost nets since he first encountered one more than a decade ago. During a beach-cleaning trip on southeastern Lantau Island on a hot summer day, Chan jumped into the ocean to cool off and saw a fishing net underwater.

“I first learned from my friends that these ‘ghost nets’ can entangle marine life, ocean debris, divers and boat propellers, threatening the marine ecosystem and human life,” Chan said.

He realized that for all the ocean’s splendor, it was wounded from within. Always a lover of the ocean, Chan dedicated himself to removing “ghost nets” and warning the public about the environmental hazards they posed.

Chan Tin Ming and his team recover ghost nets in Hong Kong, southern China, June 27, 2024. Photo: Xinhua

Chan hunts for “ghost nets” at least once a month. He always wears his diving suit to avoid being scratched by rocks or sea creatures, and he carefully chooses his dive sites based on the height of the waves and the direction of the ocean currents.

Despite these precautions, Chan could have lost his life on several occasions. “I was diving near Lamma Island once when the water suddenly became murky. My vision blurred and I became entangled. If my teammate hadn’t cut me free from the net, I could have died,” he said, still terrified.

The risk hasn’t dampened Chan’s resolve. “People ask me how I’m going to remove what seems like an endless amount of ‘ghost nets.’ I always tell them that if every single one of us does our part, it will make a difference.”

This photo shows the ghost nets recovered by Chan Tin Ming and his team in Hong Kong, southern China, June 27, 2024. Photo: Xinhua

In his spare time, Chan often visits schools, businesses and charities to share his ghost-hunting stories, hoping to recruit more volunteers to join his team, especially younger ones.

“He is in his 70s, but he cuts through ghost nets like a 30-year-old. I want to join the ranks of ocean defenders like him,” Yung said.

The team of volunteer divers is growing. They will hunt and dispose of the nets themselves. If the nets become overwhelming, they will post the location to a group chat and organize backup, according to Chan.

In the future, Chan plans to expand his missions to other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

“My wife has always opposed my case, fearing she would lose me. I told her that this was something that had to be done, and if one day I fell into the trap of a ‘ghost net’ with no way out, don’t cry, but be proud of me,” Chan said.