Re:Fish Hosts International Workshop

The Re:Fish project team welcomed several organisations to join a workshop on clean-ups, national reporting systems and the Single Use Plastic Directive. We had presenters from Västkuststiftelsen, the Directorate of Fisheries in Norway, Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Syke, Finnish Environment Institute, Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, Ministry of Climate, Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association and Finnish SUP-Producer Group Ltd.

There were a total of 33 participants – 8 from Sweden, 13 from Finland, 10 from Estonia and 2 from other countries. We had representatives from 25 various organisations, government agencies, private companies and universities.

The workshop was filled with interesting presentations and fruitful discussions. Several challenges were identified, including the need for stronger funding models and a more developed system for the full recycling chain of end-of-life fishing gear (EOL). The importance of addressing the issue from both ends – prevention of gear loss and improved recycling/reuse – was highlighted.

Participants also noted that imported fishing nets, particularly low-quality ones, often do not contribute to the costs associated with end-of-life handling or ALDFG (abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear), pointing to a potential need for measures.

Early results from Finland’s collection efforts suggest that mobile collection stations are more effective than permanent ones – a valuable insight for future initiatives. At the same time, the end of national funding for Fiskereturen in Sweden raised concerns about long-term financing for such programmes.

The SUP Directive was also discussed, with participants noting that while it mandates collection of gear, it does not yet offer a framework for circular solutions such as recycling. Furthermore, taking small producers into account when looking for solutions and increasing public awareness were seen as critical next steps.

The dialogue will continue, and all participants will be invited to our final conference in Tallinn, Estonia on the 20th of November, where we will share results from the Re:Fish programme – and much more.