Waste reduction and management in fishing ports to promote sustainable fisheries

Marine litter and plastic pollution are a global issue threatening marine ecosystems. Fisheries, fishing ports and seafood supply chains can be a source of the litter directly or indirectly released into the sea, but they are also a central part of the solution: for example, they can substitially contribute to reducing pollution by ‘Fishing for Litter’ or adopting more sustainable management practices. This session aims to bring together governmental, academic and private stakeholders, including fishery representatives and ports, to discuss open problems related to sustainable marine litter management as well as the pros and cons of different solutions. Talks will showcase best practice examples, such as the Interreg Italy-Croatia project FishNoWaste (2024-26) focusing on waste management in Adriatic fishing ports, explore current regulations, and describe the sustainability of supply chains in a circular economy perspective, with a final round table.

Session Chair

Alberto Barausse, University of Padova

Programme

10.00 Introduction by the Chairman
Alberto Barausse, University of Padova

10.15-10.30 Introductory Remarks
Anna Montini, Blue Economy Councillor of Rimini Municipality

10.30-10.45 Introductory Remarks
Elisabetta Gualmini, Industry, Research and Energy Committee of the European Parliament

10.45-11.00 IT-HR CBC Programme Support Preventing Marine Litter Pollution
Marin Miletic, Joint Secretariat ITA-HR

11.00-11.15 Outline of the FishNoWaste Project
Tommaso Musner, University of Padova

11.15-11.30 BlueMissionMed to support the Mediterranean fishing sector
Fantina Madricardo, National Research Council (CNR)
Vanessa Moschino, National Research Council (CNR)

11.30-11.45 Regulatory analysis regarding Marine Litter
Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (TBC)

11.45-12.30 International case studies and best practices:

The experience of fishing and waste management in the North Sea
Hendrik Kramer, entrepreneur (NL)

Waste reduction and management in fishing ports - an example from Croatia
Pero Tutman, Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (HR)

The role of the private sector in reducing plastic pollution
Luca Barani, Sea the Change (IT)

12.30-13.00 Round table
Supply chains of litter and of seafood: issues and potential
Representative of fishing ports and national/regional stakeholders

13.00 Closure by the Chairman