This document is a report on the technical aspects and current examples of fishing gear recycling as an option for end-of-life fishing gear waste management and pollution control. The report also discusses fishing gear recycling options in the context of circular economy and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principles. This report will be used for knowledge sharing, dissemination and capacity building purposes. It will assist with planning of GloLitter Partnerships pilot projects around cost–benefit analyses for end-of-life fishing gear port reception facilities, which can support fishing gear recycling. It will also assist with planning of GloLitter Partnerships phase II “pilot projects” to practically implement the proposed fishing gear recycling management systems and incentive schemes. The objectives the report are: summarize current fishing gear recycling technologies; share global case studies of fishing gear recycling initiatives; review the application of circular economy and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principles to fishing gear recycling; discuss trade-offs between available fishing gear recycling options, and recommend best practices for fishing gear recycling under differing socioeconomic and environmental contexts that progress circular economy and EPR principles.

The 2023 annual meeting of the ICES-FAO Working Group on Fishing Technology and Fish Behaviour (WGFTFB) and the International Symposium on “Innovations in Fishing Technologies for Sustainable and Resilient Fisheries” was held from 13 to 17 February 2023 in Kochi, India. [Author] The symposium was hosted by FAO in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, organized by the Bay of Bengal Programme Intergovernmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) and National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Fisheries Institutes and State Fisheries Universities. [Author] The symposium brought together 325 participants comprising of scientists, researchers, officials, policymakers, diplomats, industry, entrepreneurs, and students from 32 countries both online and offline delivering a total of 137 presentations providing a platform for discussions on the challenges facing world fisheries including depleted fish stocks, habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, fish loss and wastage bycatch, and ghost fishing. [Author] This report summarizes the symposium on “Innovations in Fishing Technologies for Sustainable and Resilient Fisheries” which comprised of eight thematic sessions: (i) active gears (ii) passive gears (iii)indicators (iv) abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) (v) survival/behaviour/physiology (vi) energy efficiency (vii) general topics and (viii) gear design. [Author]

Whilst conjecture remains regarding the quantity of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) entering the ocean, ALDFG is recognised as the most harmful form of marine plastic litter irrespective of whether it has been intentionally discarded or accidentally lost – harming vulnerable species, damaging fragile habitats as well as creating navigational hazards and depleting fish stocks. In turn, if left unmanaged, ALDFG can threaten food security, livelihoods and human health. In order to determine good practices to manage and ultimately prevent ALDFG, it is essential to understand the context of the current situation including sources, drivers and impacts of ALDFG. Here, we provide an overview of the status of the fishing related marine plastic litter problem, specifically ALDFG or “ghost gear”, and situate its impact and contribution to the broader sea-based marine plastic litter issue. A key component to successfully manage ALDFG, is heeding lessons learned from existing projects that are in place around the world, acknowledging that management strategies vary significantly across geographies and their application locally must be considered with local circumstances/needs. Using the good practice categories identified by the Global Ghost Gear Initiative’s Best Practice Framework for the Management of Fishing Gear for Capture Fisheries, ten case studies are presented exemplifying key good practices for the prevention, mitigation and remediation of ALDFG. Based on the good practices identified from the case studies included and the broader global context of the ALDFG problem, this report provide recommendations of mechanisms that can be implemented by GloLitter participating countries and others aiming to prevent, mitigate and remediate fishing related marine plastic litter.

FAO in collaboration with the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), convened a series of regional workshops on Best Practices to Prevent and Reduce Abandoned, Lost and Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) between May and November 2019. The workshops which involved Government representatives, Regional Bodies, relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, the fishing industry and other regional stakeholders covered the Southwest Pacific, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and South America and the Caribbean regions. Workshop participants reviewed existing measures for addressing fishing-related marine debris in particular ALDFG, considered best available information that supports further development of best practices for the management of fishing gear, discussed provisions required within international instruments and identify region-specific challenges, opportunities and priority needs. The main objective was to increase understanding and awareness of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Marking of Fishing Gear (VGMFG) and relevant best practice as outlined in the GGGI’s Best Practice Framework for the Management of Fishing Gear (BPF). The main output of the workshops were a set of recommendations to inform next steps to be taken towards the development of national action plans or strategies to align, as appropriate, policies, legislation, systems and operations to the provisions of the VGMFG and the BPF, which will support the implementation of regional action plans to address marine litter from sea-based activities, especially ALDFG.

This open access book reflects aims of the Blue Circular Economy (BCE) project, which focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) aiming to create value using circular economy concepts related to products and services within fishing gear recycling in the Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) area. Cluster establishment and operation were carried out in collaboration with academia, industry and government agencies following a triple-helix approach. Discarded fishing gear constitutes a large part of marine plastics. Preventing future discharge of fishing gear into the ocean is a vital step in combating plastic pollution. Circular economy is one of the tools in the European Green deal, targeting waste minimisation. Closing the loop for waste fishing nets by transferring them to a resource could be a solution for preventing discharge at sea: exploring this opportunity is at the core of this book.

The 2019 annual meeting of the ICES-FAO Working Group on Fishing Technology and Fish Behaviour (WGFTFB) was held from 8 to 12 April 2019 in Shanghai, China. The meeting was hosted by FAO in close collaboration with the Shanghai Ocean University. More than 120 fishing technologists, scientists and other stakeholders, representing 23 countries from Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia, attended this meeting. This report summarizes the four-day symposium, on “Responsible Fishing Technology for Healthy Ecosystems and a Clean Environment”, which was organized as part of the 2019 annual meeting of the ICES-FAO WGFTFB. The symposium comprised eight thematic sessions: (i) abandoned, lost and otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG): assessment of quantity and measures to prevent ALDFG and its impact; (ii) interactions of protected species in capture fisheries; (iii) light, fish behaviour and fishing; (iv) technology and management to reduce bycatch and discards; (v) selectivity of fishing gear: means and methods; (vi) new technologies for fisheries research and education; (vii) energy, technology, analysis and simulation; and (viii) Chinese fisheries - status, challenges and future. The symposium provided an opportunity for fishing technologists and other experts from ICES and FAO member countries to exchange knowledge and ideas from around the world, especially from non-ICES member countries in Asia and Latin America.

Plastic Waste and Recycling: Environmental Impact, Societal Issues, Prevention, and Solutions begins with an introduction to the different types of plastic materials, their uses, and the concepts of reduce, reuse and recycle before examining plastic types, chemistry and degradation patterns that are organized by non-degradable plastic, degradable and biodegradable plastics, biopolymers and bioplastics. Other sections cover current challenges relating to plastic waste, explain the sources of waste and their routes into the environment, and provide systematic coverage of plastic waste treatment methods, including mechanical processing, monomerization, blast furnace feedstocks, gasification, thermal recycling, and conversion to fuel. This is an essential guide for anyone involved in plastic waste or recycling, including researchers and advanced students across plastics engineering, polymer science, polymer chemistry, environmental science, and sustainable materials. - Presents actionable solutions for reducing plastic waste, with a focus on the concepts of collection, re-use, recycling and replacement - Considers major societal and environmental issues, providing the reader with a broader understanding and supporting effective implementation - Includes detailed case studies from across the globe, offering unique insights into different solutions and approaches