Networking
Collaboration between projects dealing with similar issues, in order to exchange experiences and objectives
remove. Recycle.
Give it a new use.
repeat.
MArinE Litter Sustainable Removal and Management
Increasing quantities of litter are finding their way into the planet's rivers and oceans, endangering the well-being of ecosystems and wildlife as they become trapped or ingest the debris. Additionally, human health is under threat as plastics degrade into smaller fragments that could potentially contaminate our food chain.
Come and discover the
Sea Forest Life Project
A EU initiative safeguarding Posidonia oceanica meadows, vital marine plants storing significant carbon in the Mediterranean, crucial in mitigating climate change.
Mo.Ri.net
(Monitoring, census, collection, and initiation of recycling of ghost nets: fishermen leading in safeguarding the sea)
The Mo.Ri.net project aims to address the pressing issue of waste floating and deposited on the seabed, causing severe environmental harm to ecosystems and protected species. Operating within and beyond marine protected areas of Asinara Island and Capo Carbonara, the project's main goal is to rehabilitate damaged marine habitats by removing plastic waste, ghost nets, and abandoned fishing gear. Fishermen play a pivotal role in these efforts, actively engaged and informed through awareness-raising activities
Vox Maris
BioDesign Foundation:
A non-profit organization headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Vox Maris operates across multiple countries. Its mission is to procure discarded nets from fishermen, collect, and recycle them at a factory in Padua. These nets are repurposed into textile fibers for clothing, with residual components sent to refineries to produce second-life plastics or utilized in creating polymers for the furniture industry.
European Sharks
(Knowledge, protection and involvement for the conservation of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean)
The project European Sharks was born with the aim of protecting the most threatened shark and ray species in the Mediterranean Sea, through the direct involvement of citizens, professional and recreational fishermen, divers and maritime operators. Active in Italy, Croatia, France, Slovenia and Spain, the project aims to promote sustainable fishing practices, the reduction of bycatch and the protection of critical habitats of these species.
Among the actions planned: training fishermen to promote the safe release of accidentally caught specimens, the development of voluntary measures to reduce animal mortality, and the promotion of responsible sport fishing with catch-and-release techniques.
Particular attention is paid to reducing the risk of sharks becoming entangled in lost fishing gear, thanks to collaboration with the diving community, and to participatory mapping of habitats essential for reproduction and feeding.
The project is completed by awareness-raising activities aimed at the general public, with the aim of overturning the negative perception of sharks, from “dangerous” to “in danger”, and valorising their fundamental role in the balance of the marine ecosystem. European Sharks is coordinated by the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn with the support of numerous international partners.
NETTAG+
Horizon 2020
Centro Interdisciplinary de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental
The project engages the fishing sector in enhancing practices and embracing environmentally sustainable fishing methods. By focusing on prevention, the aim is to decrease the volume of fishing gear that harms ecosystems or port areas. Efforts will be made to prevent the creation of marine litter by developing acoustic tags for locating fishing gear. These innovative tools will simplify the detection of fishing gear from the surface, thereby lowering the risk of loss. Such technological advancements will aid in minimizing the impact of lost equipment, streamlining its mapping and retrieval process.