FARNET
Fisheries Areas Network

Good Practice Short Story

Creating a network for marine litter management

Four Sardinian FLAGs have linked up with the University of Cagliari to create a waste management system for efficiently dealing with marine litter caught by local fishers.
Through this project, FLAGs could highlight the unique social service provided by fishers to tackle marine litter. Moreover, now we have the chance to keep providing policy makers with valuable information for ensuring a bottom-up approach when looking for more definitive solutions to this problem.
Alessandro Cau, Project Coordinator- University of Cagliari

Litter and abandoned fishing gear have an adverse impact on fisheries and marine ecosystems. Such litter is often inadvertently caught by fishers who are legally responsible for disposing of it. In Sardinia, due to a lack of management facilities for marine waste, along with the costs and time required to dispose of it properly, fishers instead tended to leave the waste they found at sea.

In order to find a win-win solution for both fishermen and environment, the East Sardinia FLAG teamed up with the University of Cagliari in setting up the Fishing Litter and Abandoned Gears project which involves putting in place effective waste management solutions for fishers. This project included the installation of boat decks which allow fishers to separate and store the marine litter they catch, as well as onshore separation and collection facilities so that marine waste can be disposed of efficiently when landed.

In 2019, the three other FLAGs in Sardinia (North, West-Central, and West-South Sardinia) joined the partnership, meaning the waste management system currently networks the whole island. Moving forward, the project also plans to include professional scuba divers and remotely operated vehicles in an effort to classify the type and quantity of the marine litter collected.

Funding

Budget €527 458
EU contribution €263 729
  • EMFF: €263 729
Other public contribution €263 729
  • National: €184 610
  • Regional: €79 119

Organisations

GAC Sardegna Orientale

Contact details

FLAG Contacts

Ms. Giusy Doneddu
Italy

Organisation Contacts

GAC Sardegna Orientale
Mr. office
Italy

Organisation Contacts

GAC Sardegna Orientale
Ms. Giusy Doneddu
Italy
Publication date: 
10/04/2020
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