NetTag

🏆 NETTAG+ wins an Atlantic–WestMED Project Award 2026!

We are delighted to announce that NETTAG+ received an Atlantic–WestMED Project Award 2026 in the category Biodiversity, Healthy Oceans and Resilient Coasts. The award was presented this week during the first joint Atlantic–WestMED Conference, held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

This award recognises the project’s contribution to tackling marine litter from fishing activities across the Atlantic and Mediterranean countries. By combining innovative technologies, awareness-raising activities and close collaboration with fishers, NETTAG+ has developed practical solutions to prevent marine litter, avoid the loss of fishing gear and mitigate the impacts of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear.

This achievement belongs to the entire NETTAG+ consortium and to all the fishers and stakeholders who shared their knowledge and experience throughout the project.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this possible! 🌊

Read more here: https://rb.gy/28dr8n

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🌊 Fishers must be at the heart of the solution to marine litter 🎣

Marine litter is one of the most visible pressures on our seas—and those who work at sea every day are often the first to feel its impacts.

Our NETTAG+ report shows that fishers are not just affected by marine litter; they are key actors in preventing it.

Insights from interviews and analysis across ports and fisheries reveal that:

🔹 Fishing activities are frequently associated with marine litter, but also offer clear opportunities for prevention
🔹 Fishers already play a vital role in retrieving waste from the sea.
🔹 Effective waste management depends on accessible, well‑functioning Port Reception Facilities
🔹 Structural barriers—rather than lack of willingness—often limit fishers’ ability to dispose of waste responsibly

When supported by the right infrastructure, incentives, and policies, fishers can become powerful allies in keeping marine ecosystems clean.

👉 Read our full report on fishers' current practices and needs to manage marine litter ad fisheries-related waste more effectively:https://nettagplus.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/NETTAG_D2.3_Disclaimer.pdf

+ Arvi Innovapesca Associação Pró-Maior Segurança dos Homens do Mar Aquatic Resources Malta WWF Adria

From knowledge to action 🌍⚓

The NETTAG+ Final EU Event showcased how cooperation between science, fishers, and policymakers can reduce marine litter and lost fishing gear across Europe and the Mediterranean.

🎬 Relive the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=rmFyDscWPlefFIfj&v=3x4dGkUaOD8&feature=youtu.be

+ Ciimar Associação Pró-Maior Segurança dos Homens do Mar Newcastle University WWF Italia WWF Adria Cadilhe & Santos, Lda. Arvi Innovapesca

NETTAG+ Final event, 14-15 April 2026, Porto On 14–15 April, all EU NETTAG+ partners gathered in Porto to presen...

Better managing marine litter within the fisheries sector requires looking at the full picture — from its sources to the systems needed to manage it effectively.

Within the NETTAG+ projects we did a series of analysis and interviews with relevant port authorities and fishers across countries, and this is what came out:

🔹 A significant share of marine litter originates from maritime activities
🔹 Fishing gear and related plastics are among the most common items retrieved at sea
🔹 Port Reception Facilities play a key role in preventing waste leakage into the ocean
🔹 Large and small ports face different structural challenges in waste management
🔹 Fishers are not only affected by marine litter — they are part of the solution

🔗 Read our policy brief for improved marine waste management in EU ports:https://nettagplus.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PolicyBrief-1-July2025.pdf

Infographic developed together with Bianco Tangerine

+ Arvi Innovapesca Associação Pró-Maior Segurança dos Homens do Mar Aquatic Resources Malta WWF Adria WWF Italia CESAM - Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar

🌊 Ghost fishing gear: the invisible threat haunting our seas - and the solutions already at work.

On 15 April, Póvoa de Varzim (Portugal) hosted the final event of the EU‑funded NETTAG+ project, bringing together fishers, scientists and engineers to mark the conclusion of more than three years of work tackling ghost fishing gear.

The event is now the focus of a new Euronews video feature, which delves into one of the most dangerous and invisible forms of marine pollution: abandoned or lost fishing nets, lines and traps that continue to catch marine life long after they sink to the seabed.

During the event, Euronews interviewed several voices from the project — from fishers directly affected by ghost gear, to researchers developing acoustic tagging systems and underwater robotics to locate and recover lost equipment.

A key message is clear: fishers' experience and active involvement have been central to designing practical solutions, from prevention to recovery and policy recommendations, with relevance for both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.

The Euronews feature captures how innovation, cooperation and trust across sectors can help turn the tide on ghost fishing gear 💪

👉 Watch the Euronews video to hear directly from those involved and see the solutions in action:

https://www.euronews.com/2026/04/21/ghost-fishing-gear-the-hidden-threat-at-the-bottom-of-our-seas-and-oceans

+ Associação Pró-Maior Segurança dos Homens do Mar Arvi Innovapesca Aquatic Resources Malta WWF Adria WWF Italia Ciimar Cadilhe & Santos, Lda. Newcastle University

Ghost fishing gear: Trackers and robots help clean up Portugal's seas The NETTAG+ project, funded by the European Union, aims to combat fishing waste and mitigate its effects on marine life.