Tenders Are Invited For Supporting Services For The Government – ​​Untangling Our Seas (Unsea) – A Holistic Approach To Preventing The Pollution Of The Marine Environment By Fishing Gear

Supporting Services For The Government – ​​Untangling Our Seas (Unsea) – A Holistic Approach To Preventing The Pollution Of The Marine Environment By Fishing Gear. Despite Increased Awareness Of The Consequences Of Plastic Pollution On The Marine Environment, There Is An Ongoing Threat From Aldfg, Which Is Newly Introduced Into The Marine Environment Or Has, In Some Cases, Been There For Decades. The Aim Of Unsea Is Therefore To Systematically Prevent The Further Entry Of Aldfg Into The North And Baltic Seas, To Reduce The Negative Ecological And Socio-Economic Impacts And To Identify And Recover Contaminated Sites, Especially In Ecologically Sensitive Areas. Both Commercial, Part-Time And Sport Fishing In The North And Baltic Seas Need To Be Addressed. Aquaculture And Mariculture And Inland Fishing Are Excluded From The Scope Of The Project. Existing Specifications And Agreements Of Relevant National And International Legal Requirements Are Currently Still Fragmented, Have No Financial Support And Are Sometimes Up For Grabs For Various Reasons. Unsea Should Therefore Bring Together The Various Aspects In A Coherent Framework For Action, With The Focus On Implementing Cost-Efficient And Operational Measures. It Is Important To Rethink The Handling Of Fishing Gear Waste From Fishing In A New And Holistic Way, To Anchor Principles Of The Circular Economy In The Management Of Fishing Gear And To Also Address Special Findings Such As Dolly Ropes (Abrasion Protection Threads On Bottom Trawls) And Net Parts From Repair Work, Which Are Often Found In The Marine Environment. The Project Is Intended To Provide The Necessary Start-Up Financing Over Its Duration And, At The Same Time, To Create Long-Term Structures With Clear Responsibilities For Continuity By The Federal And State Governments. For The First Time, A Cross-Sector Mechanism Is To Be Defined And Implemented, Which Also Includes Knowledge And Information Exchange. The Project Can Build On Existing Legal Frameworks, Recommendations From Research And Politics, Preparatory Work Within The Framework Of Measures And Action Plans And Voluntary Industry Initiatives. In Particular, The Round Table On Marine Litter (Rtm, Www.Muell-Im-Meer.De), Which Was Established In 2016 And Is Coordinated By The Federal Environment Agency And The State Of Lower Saxony, Has Already Carried Out Extensive Conceptual Preparatory Work That Can Be Used As A Working Basis For Unsea. In This Way, Insights Into The Dimensions Of The Problem Were Gained And Suitable Methods As Well As Existing And Missing Elements In The Chain From The Search To The Most Environmentally Friendly Recycling Of Aldfg Were Identified. Furthermore, The Results And Recommendations Of Two Pilot Projects To Implement The Recovery Of Lost Fishing Gear In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Mv) And Schleswig-Holstein (Sh) Must Be Taken Into Account. While The Project In Mv Has Already Been Completed (Https://Www.Wwf.De/Fileadmin/Fm-Wwf/Publikationen-Pdf/Deutschland/Wwf-Finalbericht-Landesprojekt-Verlorene-Fischereigeraete.Pdf), D