CIRCNETS - Blue Circle Nets

The Blue Circular Nets (CIRCNETS) project, funded by the Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) 2021–2027 INTERREG program, and with a total EU grant of 928 181 EUR, aims to address marine litter issues, particularly in the northern Atlantic coastal regions (https://www.interreg-npa.eu/projects/circnets/home/). Project partners include organizations from Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden.

Single-use plastics and fishing gear are significant sources of marine plastic pollution. The European Union has taken significant measures to combat these issues, including banning many single-use plastics (SUP) and promoting alternatives made from sustainable materials. However, replacing plastic-based fishing gear is not yet feasible. As a result, efforts are focused on managing end-of-life (EOL) fishing gear. By collecting and recycling nets and other gear nearing the end of their lifespan, the project aims to prevent these materials from polluting oceans.

Under the EU Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive (2019/904/EC), producers and importers of plastic-containing fishing and aquaculture gear in EU member states are required to organize the collection of EOL gear based on the extended producer responsibility (EPR) principle. To design a collection system that is both efficient and cost-effective while adhering to the "do no significant harm" principle, it is essential to explore successful solutions implemented in other regions. Furthermore, the collection of fishing and aquaculture gear presents an opportunity to advance a circular economy by exploring options for recycling these materials at a regional level. The primary goal of the CIRCNETS project (2022-2025) is to establish an efficient collection system for end-of-life (EOL) fishing and aquaculture gear in the NPA region, addressing all barriers to proper waste management.

In CIRCNETS, we will explore solutions from different regions to determine the most efficient and cost-effective way to organize regional collections. This system must also comply with the "do no significant harm" principle. In addition to preventing marine plastic pollution, collecting fishing gear creates an opportunity to move towards a more circular economy. CIRCNETS will also investigate how the gathered materials can be recycled.

The overall objective of CIRCNETS is to draft a blueprint for the collection, treatment, and recycling of EOL fishing gear in the NPA region. The project will reach this goal through the following activities:

1. Analysis of fishing gear volumes, collection responsibilities and collection practices in NPA ports
2. NPA marine plastic mitigation model (collection, treatment, reuse)
3. Implementation of EPR for EOL fishing gear in NPA countries

The University of Galway, as one of the Irish partners, is responsible for coordinating the following activities of Work Package 2:

1. Analysis of current EOL fishing gear collection and disposal practices in the NPA countries.
2. Identification of best available practices and technologies for the collection and recycling of used plastic fishing gear materials.
3. Review of the sustainability performance of EOL fishing gear recycling through Life Cycle Analysis studies.
4. Analysis of technical issues and challenges in the implementation of the EPR scheme for EOL fishing gear in partner countries.

Report - CIRCNET WP2 Report D.1.1.1

Report - CIRCNET WP2 Report D.2.1.1

Poster - Promoting Collection and Recycling of EOL Fishing Gear in the European North