THE SILENT KILLERS IN THE BALTIC SEA
Ghost nets are addressed worldwide as a source of marine litter with extensive hazardous effects on the marine ecosystem. From 5.500 to 10.000 gillnets and trawl nets are lost every year. In 2016, the MARELITT Baltic project was initiated as a response to the ghost net problem. It is a transnational initiative, funded by the EU, with participation from Sweden, Estonia, Poland and Germany. For the last years, the project team has been working to find a sustainable way to approach derelict fishing gear in the Baltic Sea.
With a comprehensive approach covering many aspects of the problem like mapping, retrieval, recycling and prevention of ghost nets, the project has created new areas of expertise. It has resulted in an action plan called “The Baltic Sea Blueprint”. That plan can guide organisations and governments towards actionable steps for fighting ghost nets, all over the world. The Baltic Sea Blueprint will be launched at the MARELITT Baltic Final Conference i Stockholm, 20–21 March 2019.
SHORT FACTS
Priority area - Natural Resources
Specific objective - Clear waters
Project acronym - MARELITT Baltic
Lead Partner - Municipality of Simrishamn, Sweden
Project partners - 4 PL, 2 EE, 1 DE, 1 SE
Project budget - Total EUR 3,8 MM
Project partners
Municipality of Simrishamn, Lead partner (SE)
Keep the Estonian Sea Tidy (EE)
WWF Poland Foundation (PL)
WWF Germany (DE)
Keep Sweden Tidy (SE)
Maritime University of Szczecin (PL)
Kolobrzeg Fish Producers Group (PL)
Institute of Logistics and Warehousing (PL)
Estonian Divers Association (EE)
The Swedish partners particiapition have been co-financed by Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management.
