Responsibility measures

Make every farmer responsible, as far as possible and considering the recycling and removal schemes in place and in development, for the management and the treatment of their own litter.

Farmer/user responsibility

Photo: Paul Einerhand

Relevant type of aquaculture:

Relevant sea basin:

Relevant stage:

Related Barriers:

In Greece, some of the most common wastes from mussel farms are barrels used as floating material in the longline mussel culture. Sometimes barrels get stranded on beaches and muddy areas, since they are not disposed of properly.
There are no containers for small size material.
In Greece, it is the Municipalities’ duty to collect the mussel farming waste, but the mussel farmers should be charged for this service. As there are no proper disposal points, farmers often burn the nets and pile barrels close to the ports.
There is no specific waste management regarding the aquaculture sector, including lack of information regarding roles and responsibilities (in Spain).
Waste management points or recycling centres are not usually near the collection points for aquaculture litter and the transportation costs are very expensive

Related Good Practice:

R&R GP3.1

In Spain, aquaculture farmers are currently managing the waste that is produced in their own installations, through specialized waste companies if possible

In the recent national guidance for the minimization of the sub products and litter of the aquaculture activities (OESA - Fundación Biodiversidad, 2017) it is highlighted that, among all the farmer’s obligations related to any kind of waste, they have: a) To ensure the proper treatment of the waste by themselves or by the authorized waste managers (assuming the costs of the treatment or the management). b) To submit a minimization plan report to the autonomous community in the case the owners of aquaculture facilities produce hazardous waste (except for the smaller ones). c) To keep the stored waste in good condition, following hygienic and safety recommendations. Hazardous waste can only be stored for six months maximum. d) To avoid mixing or diluting hazardous waste. e) To store, package and label the hazardous waste at the production place and following the regulations. Recently, and while there is no specific EPR scheme in place, some projects have been developed regarding the waste management related to aquaculture activities in Spain, focusing on identifying innovative strategies for the recovery of aquaculture waste.