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Improving the Sustainability of End-of-Life Fishing Gear: Governance Conditions for Extended Producer Responsibility in the Norwegian Fishing Industry
Summary
This study looked at how Norway can make fishing companies responsible for properly disposing of old fishing gear, instead of letting it end up as ocean trash. Lost or discarded fishing nets are a major source of ocean plastic pollution, which breaks down into microplastics that can enter seafood and, eventually, our diets. The researchers found that clear rules, teamwork across the fishing industry, and better digital tracking systems all need to work together to make this "polluter pays" approach actually succeed.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is increasingly used to address marine plastic pollution, including fishing gear under Directive (EU) 2019/904. Drawing on qualitative data collected from eight Norwegian organizations across the fishing gear value chain, this study examines the governance conditions shaping implementation during the pre-implementation phase. The analysis identifies three interrelated dimensions: institutional pressure, interorganizational collaboration, and digital capability. Institutional pressure creates the primary compliance impetus, collaboration coordinates collection and recovery across a fragmented value chain, and digital systems support reporting, traceability, and material-specific feedback. The resulting governance model distinguishes EPR as the umbrella framework from collective EPR administered through Producer Responsibility Organizations and from Individual Producer Responsibility, which links producer-specific costs and benefits to product performance. It further integrates material-quality thresholds, Digital Product Passports, eco-modulated fees, and proportionate compliance pathways for small and medium-sized enterprises. The model conceptualizes implementation as a reinforcing feedback system in which recovery data recalibrate producer fees and inform design-for-recyclability, thereby improving environmental, economic, and social outcomes.