Back
Webinar: How can marking of recreational fishing gear help reduce gear loss?
HELCOM is organizing a webinar on improving fishing gear marking to reduce gear loss in the Baltic Sea. Learn about the regulations and contribute to next steps for sustainable recreational fishing. Organised with KIMO and the Swedish Agency for Marine Management.
Recreational fishing is a popular activity across the Baltic Sea countries, bringing positive health, social and economic benefits to coastal communities.
Although most recreational fishers care deeply about the sea, a significant amount of recreational fishing gear is lost at sea every year, creating environmental challenges.
The reasons for abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) are many, and not always within the fisher’s control. By effectively marking their gear, recreational fishers can help minimise future losses.
Action RS9 of the HELCOM Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter aims to “investigate available options for fishing gear marking as a tool to prevent and reduce gear losses and produce recommendations to improve gear marking to increase the effectiveness of this tool”. In addition, in February 2025, the European Commission adopted a new regulation requiring clear marking of certain types of passive fishing gear. For the successful implementation of these commitments, it is essential to raise awareness and exchange knowledge, experience, challenges and solutions.
We invite you to join this webinar and contribute to the next concrete steps for this important work. The webinar is moderated by Sandra Kropa, an environmental journalist from Latvia.
Organised by the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) in partnership with KIMO, and funded by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. Target audiences include government officials, representatives from fishing associations and from national, regional & international organisations, working at either the policy or practical level.
