Cash for fishermen’s ‘plastic catch’

A GOOD catch may not be the only way that fishermen will be able to earn a living in future.

A European project wants to help maritime communities in Clare make money from discarded marine plastic.

Circular Ocean aims to turn waste plastic from the sea into a useful resource by supporting the move to a more circular economy and inspiring coastal communities to realise the economic potential of fishing nets and other waste plastic.

It has been estimated that more than eight million tonnes of marine litter ends up in the ocean every year, of which 15% is floating on the surface, 15% is washed ashore and the remaining 70% sinks and rests on the ocean floor.

Fishing-related gear has been assessed by experts to be the most harmful type of litter to sea birds, mammals and turtles, with the economic damage of marine plastic waste estimated at almost €12 billion.
Marine plastic litter, due to its durability, may take hundreds to thousands of years to fully break down. As a result, plastic is continuing to accumulate in the ocean, with research suggesting that it may contain 155 million tonnes of plastic by 2025, without significant intervention.

This plastic will continue to entangle and be consumed by marine life, which has significant implications for the overall health of marine ecosystems and food-web.
Circular Ocean, which is funded under the EU’s ERDF Interreg VB Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) programme, will also soon see the release of a report entitled The Marine Plastic Waste Problem: Reasons for Northern Europe and Arctic to Take Notice.

Over the next three years, the project partners are working with local enterprises and residents in Clare to provide and share information, knowledge and ideas to guide communities on how best to harness the hidden opportunities of discarded fishing nets.

The Circular Ocean project will use its website to provide resources outlining the areas of opportunity available to local communities, including business and enterprise potential for recycling; detailed exploration of case studies of existing fishnet recycling projects, their challenges and opportunities; a handbook of fishing net reuse options, including innovative eco-design companies; a fishing net reuse and recycling brochure; examples of pilot work undertaken using fishing nets and ropes within remote regions; open source eco-innovation hub for recycling and re-purposing marine litter allowing the exchange of ideas and techniques; and a tool-kit with publications to support partners and end-users on circular economy innovation related to discarded fishing nets.