Responsibility measures

Set up collaborations between farmers, port authorities and gear producers to locate and establish collection points for disposal of aquaculture gear in the port reception facilities. Farmers could be responsible for bringing the gear to the port facilities (encouraged by implementing a deposit-to-be-returned system, for example) and, on the other hand, gear producers could economically compensate the port authorities for using their installations.

Shared responsibility Shared responsibility

Photo: Precious Plastics Photo: Precious Plastics

Relevant type of aquaculture:

Fish Shellfish Seaweed

Relevant sea basin:

Mediterranean

Relevant stage:

Removal and recycling

Related Barriers:

  • Directive (EU) 2019/883 on port reception facilities for the delivery of waste from ships refers only to nets as the passively fished waste. To design a complete removal and recycling process of the aquaculture (and fishery) gear, it would be necessary to include other equipment and 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.

  • 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 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 GP3.4

Reusing the wood from the older bateas for decorative purposes

In Galicia, the structure of the bateas was traditionally made of eucalyptus. Once the batea had reached the end-of-life and was dismantled, the wood pieces were burned. But lately, decorators and architects have started using them as a decorative element in houses.