Marine litter poses serious risks to ecosystems and marine wildlife.
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The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has introduced a new action plan to combat marine litter for the period 2026–2030, with measures being put in place across commercial fisheries, aquaculture and recreational fishing.
Announcing the new plan, Division Director Jon-Erik Henriksen said the aim is to make clean-up operations of "ghost gear" at sea unnecessary in the long term, by focusing on both prevention and recovery.
“This could include using gear and equipment that are biodegradable, and it could be finding technical solutions that make it easier to recover lost gear,” he said.
More than half of all plastic waste found on Norwegian beaches originates from fishing activities, the Directorate reports.
"There are many different reasons why parts of fishing gear and equipment end up at sea. It can be related to storms, it can be accidents and in some cases it can be negligence. The action plan is therefore clear that prevention is important, both in the practice of fishing, but also in regulation, guidance and facilitation," Henriksen said.
However, despite the emphasis on prevention, officials foresee continuing operations to retrieve lost gear being necessary in future years. Henriksen said recent experience in Norway shows a growing amount of lost fishing gear being recovered, and that the plan takes this continued work into account.
In recreational fishing, the loss of lines, nets and traps is identified as the main source of litter. While commercial fishers are required to report lost equipment, reporting is currently voluntary for recreational fishers. The Directorate plans to address this through awareness campaigns and tools such as its Recreational Fishing App and the online course “Dirty Fishing”, aimed at reducing gear loss.
Aquaculture is also described as a source of marine litter, though the extent is less well understood than in fisheries, the Directorate says. A complete clean-up is already required when farms cease operations, but the Directorate proposes stronger monitoring of shutdowns to ensure compliance with the rules.
"We should consider introducing marking of aquaculture equipment so that it is possible to identify the owner in the event of loss. In addition, it could be considered to introduce a reporting obligation for loss of equipment," Henriksen said.
The Directorate’s first action plan against marine litter was adopted in 2021, and about 75% of its measures have been fully or partly completed, officials say. Henriksen described the new plan as “ambitious”, adding that the goal is to raise awareness of marine litter across all areas.
In September, Norway's Fisheries and Aquaculture Industry Research Funding (FHF) announced its backing for a project investigating the feasibility of a national deposit scheme for old fishing traps.
The proposed deposit scheme would see monetary reward given for the handing in of old or unwanted fishing traps such as lobster pots, encouraging fishers to bring their old gear back to land for proper disposal or recycling rather than leaving it at sea.