DeFishGear – Derelict Fishing Gear Management System in the Adriatic Region
A system for managing derelict fishing gear in the Adriatic region
Together with 16 partner organisations from seven countries bordering the Adriatic Sea, under the coordination of the lead partner from Slovenia (the National Institute of Chemistry), we have successfully submitted an application for an international project entitled Derelict Fishing Gear Management System (DEFISHGEAR) – System for the Management of Derelict Fishing Gear in the Adriatic Region, under the IPA ADRIATIC call for proposals. At the Water Research Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, we have been actively addressing the issue of marine litter since the adoption of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in 2008. The initiative to organise the project at the Adriatic level came from us, and following the successful recruitment of partner organisations in the Adriatic region and the preparation of the project’s content, we succeeded in beating the competition and securing funding to implement the DEFISHGEAR project.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT
Full project title: Derelict Fishing Gear Management System in the Adriatic Region
Slovenian project title: System for the Management of Derelict Fishing Gear in the Adriatic Region
Project acronym: DEFISHGEAR
Project code: 1str°/ 00010
Programme: IPA Adriatic Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007–2013
The aim of the DEFISHGEAR project is to develop a regionally coordinated strategy to reduce the amount of marine litter in the Adriatic Sea through the collaboration of key stakeholders (the fishing industry, researchers, policymakers, non-governmental organisations and the recycling industry). A key deliverable at the end of the project will be the first regionally coordinated assessment of the quantities, types and sources of marine litter, including microplastics. The analysis will help countries in the region to identify hotspots and sources of marine litter, and will make a significant contribution to improving knowledge of marine litter in the region.
The DEFISHGEAR project places particular emphasis on cooperation with the fishing sector. Fishermen are a vital link in the chain of marine environmental protection and, through their existing activities, can make a significant contribution to reducing marine litter pollution.
As part of the project, we will focus on three areas:
- marine litter pollution and its economic impact on coastal communities;
- monitoring and reducing the amount of microplastics in the sea and their consequences for marine organisms;
- the collection and recycling of abandoned fishing gear (nets) and waste accidentally caught during fishing.
We look forward to collaborating with the world’s only processor of discarded fishing gear, Julon d.d. from Ljubljana, a member of the Aquafil Group. The Italian company has launched the innovative Econyl project in Slovenia. The primary raw material for the production of the polymer polyamide 6 is being replaced with secondary material consisting of end-of-life products made from this polymer, including discarded fishing nets. They have successfully launched these activities as part of the Healthy Seas project.
DEFISHGEAR will contribute to the development of a system to facilitate the appropriate monitoring and management of data across countries in the region, as this is currently very inadequate and carried out only at national level. It will be developed in collaboration with all countries in the region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia), which will also strengthen the exchange of ideas, experiences, techniques and knowledge, whilst at the same time fostering a deeper awareness and understanding of the issue of marine litter.
One of the project’s main objectives is to raise awareness of the issue of marine litter among various target groups; to this end, the project team will produce a number of publications, videos and other media activities. In each of the participating countries, a National Information Day will be organised, along with various voluntary initiatives, such as beach clean-ups, workshops and a summer school.
Database developed as part of the project:
http://www.defishgear.izvrs.si/defishgearpublic/
Project duration:
1 November 2013 – 30 September 2016
Related content:
- DeFishGear
- Adriatic Cross-Border Programme
- European Commission
- Government Office for Development and Cohesion Policy of the Republic of Slovenia
- Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning
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About the project
Client
IPA Adriatic CBC Programme
Project
value
EUR 5,353,765
Project leader
Dr Manca Kovač Viršek
Collaborators
Andreja Palatinus
Sabina Cepuš
Štefan Trdan
Uroš Robič
Dr Špela Koren
Tea Masić
Andrej Bašelj
Project duration
2013–2016
Contact
Dr Manca Kovač Viršek
00 386 1 47 75 301
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