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Improving the Sustainability of End-of-Life Fishing Gear: Governance Conditions for Extended Producer Responsibility in the Norwegian Fishing Industry
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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.
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Microplastic pollution from fishing gear: Emerging risks and management pathways
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Fishing gear like nets and trawls sheds an estimated 200 tons of microplastic into Norwegian waters every year, with certain fishing methods (Danish seine and trawl nets) responsible for most of the pollution. These plastics can work their way into the marine food chain—and ultimately onto our plates through seafood—but this review suggests switching to biodegradable gear materials could meaningfully cut emissions, though doing so will require rethinking how fishing rights and quotas are currently managed.
Reducing plastic pollution caused by demersal fisheries
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Bottom trawling and demersal seining fishing gear steadily shed microplastics into the ocean as they wear down, and in Norway alone they account for over 70% of demersal fish catches while also being among the top sources of fishery-related microplastic pollution. Switching to biodegradable polymer alternatives for these nets could reduce marine plastic litter, even if end-of-life incineration rather than recycling remains the likely disposal route.
Eco-friendly Fishing Gear and Sustainable Materials: A Review
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This review examines the shift toward eco-friendly fishing gear — including biodegradable polymers, GPS-enabled retrieval systems, and modular designs — as a way to reduce the massive amount of microplastic pollution caused by abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing nets and lines. Case studies from the EU, Japan, the US, and elsewhere show promising results, but barriers like cost and fisher awareness still limit widespread adoption. Addressing lost fishing gear is important because it is one of the ocean's largest sources of persistent plastic debris.
When stakeholders mesh: Management and circularity of end-of-life fishing gear from a network of artisanal fishers
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Old fishing nets and ropes that get abandoned in the ocean don't just disappear—they break down into microplastics that can end up in seafood and, eventually, our bodies. This study shows that a Brazilian program getting local fishers directly involved in collecting and recycling worn-out gear successfully kept nearly 3,000 kg of plastic waste out of the ocean over two years, proving that community-based recycling efforts can make a real dent in marine plastic pollution when paired with supportive policies. The takeaway: cleaner oceans start with practical, people-powered solutions, not just high-tech fixes.
Multi-stakeholder perspective to generate evidence and strategies for sustainable management of ropes from the fishing sector of Norway
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This study used material flow analysis to assess plastic mass flows from Norway's commercial fishing sector, finding approximately 383 tons of fishing ropes lost annually in Norwegian waters. Only one-third of the 15 rope types analyzed could be efficiently recycled with current technologies, identifying significant gaps in circularity for this major source of marine plastic pollution.
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