Fishing sector is a significant contributor to marine litter, primarily through the loss, abandonment, or discarding of fishing gear and gear components at sea. Gear loss can result from operational practices, harsh weather conditions, conflicts between fishing activities, or inadequate end‑of‑life management infrastructure and port reception facilities. In addition to the creation of macro-litter, fishing activities also contribute to the release of microplastics through the gradual wear and tear of fishing gear during normal operations, as materials abrade, fragment, and degrade over time.
Circular solutions are therefore needed to support the transition of the fishing sector towards a more sustainable future. While considerable attention has been given to regulatory frameworks such as Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive, the Port Reception Facilities (PRF), MARPOL 73/78 and other policy instruments such as the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), practical measures to address the root causes of fishing-related marine litter and microplastic emissions have often received less attention.
In this context, the European Union and OSPAR have, in recent years, promoted the development of standards for the circular design of fishing gear, aiming to reduce environmental impacts across the entire life cycle of fishing equipment, from design and production to use, end-of-life, and recyclability. Despite this strong policy momentum, both the fishing-gear industry and the scientific community highlight a critical gap: the lack of well-documented, real-world examples of circular fishing-gear designs that have been tested under operational fishing conditions. Demonstration cases and sea trials are essential to validate performance, durability, safety, and environmental benefits, and to build confidence among fishers, manufacturers, and regulators.
Recognising that there is no one-size-fits-all approach in fisheries, this international session presents successful case studies showing how circularity can be integrated into fishing-gear design, production, and implementation, with stakeholder perspectives at the core. The round table will examine the concept of circular fishing-gear design and showcase practical applications, demonstrating how ecodesign and biodegradable, natural and recycled materials can contribute to reducing marine litter and microplastic pollution, while also addressing environmental and socio-economic externalities and the challenges faced by gear manufacturers in advancing a circular transition