Background
Fishing for Litter in the Netherlands started with a pilot in 2001. At that time 10 ships in the port of Den Helder participated. Since the start the fleet increased to 124 vessels. In 2015 a Green Deal Fishing for a Clean Sea was signed by fishermen and other stakeholders. In the Green Deal approach the national government works jointly together with stakeholders that are linked to an environmental problem to solve that problem.
Together with Fishing for Litter the Green Deal resulted in improved collection of waste on board of ships and in ports; collection and recycling of used fishing nets; environment courses at fisheries schools; and separation of different kinds of waste to make recycling possible.
The project is very much supported by the fishermen. The fishermen who fish langoustines were the first participants. They sail about 160 miles into the North Sea. These fishermen bring a lot of waste back to port. Participation in Fishing for Litter means they clean up their fishing area without additional costs. The waste they bring to port is not fished again.
(Martien Keppel, Harbourmaster Den Oever)
Going forward
KIMO Netherlands and Belgium will continue to:
- Improve the Fishing for Litter scheme
- Develop waste management manuals for all 12 fishing ports and
- Promote recycling of Fishing for Litter waste.