New environmental business started in Portsmouth to protect the ocean by recycling fishing nets

Sam Cartwright and Xavier Warburton launched their business, Tangle, in 2022, with the aim of producing dog products from fishing nets to try and prevent them from being discarded into the ocean, which can have a detrimental impact on sea life.

Ghost fishing nets are nets that have been abandoned in the sea and in many cases, animals such as whales, sea lions and turtles end up trapped in the material.

The business will produce items such as dog leads, dog bowls, dog toys, which will be released this year.

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Sam Cartwright, Tangle co-founder, said: ‘For 2023, we’re aiming to stop 526 tennis courts worth of fishing nets becoming ghost nets. We’re all already aware of the impact of plastic bottles and straws, but in reality ghost nets make up nearly half of all ocean plastics and they’re far more deadly. By creating our beautifully-made dog products from recycled nets, we’re helping animal lovers save the oceans without compromising on quality, function or design.’

The pair have used their passion for the outdoor world to fuel their business venture in order to try and help protect the environment and animals, and they are hoping that this year they will be able to be able to prevent as many fishing nets from turning into ghost fishing nets as possible.

It is estimated that 640,000 tonnes of ghost fishing nets end up in our oceans every year, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of all plastics in the ocean.