Responsibility Measures

The responsibility of the individual user should be increased instead of EPR schemes possibly overtaken by a whole sector and denying individual liability More preventive measures are needed to reduce litter from the aquaculture sector. Both the producers and designers should be more active at the start of the material chain. With regard to EPR, the gear producer should give a certain guarantee to the farmer after analysing correct installation. After this period, it is up to the farmer to maintain the installation Implement the new EPR provisions related to fishing and aquaculture gear according to Art. 8 of the SUPD into national law for prevention and better design/and expand individual responsibilities, by including indirect costs like littering or climate change for single-use products. This could be also achieved by the general fee of 20 cent for all typical single-use plastic packages used in the aquaculture sector. National legislation needs to refer to the items mentioned in the SUPD which are also used in the aquaculture sector like caps and plastic bags - but should extend the range of items and include other SUP items, specifically used in this sector like cords, gloves, boxes and special packaging. With the revenues, avoidance and multi-use concepts have to be fostered. EPR schemes can also support the better design of unavoidable single-use plastic products to improve their recycling capability. Obligatory quota for recyclates to increase secondary raw materials that can be used to make high-quality new products. Within EPR schemes supporting the better design, companies could pay a fee to the national / municipal responsible authority, which could be used to remove marine litter in general or with a focus on the small litter items. Support individual EPR schemes since in practice producers and manufacturers often transfer their responsibility to producer responsibility organisations (PROs). If a collective scheme is chosen on national level, the PRO, set up by producers or through legislation, has to be regularly (e.g. every 5 years) assessed whether they have met their responsibility for recovery and recycling obligations of the individual producers.