DOO Komunalne djelatnosti Ulcinj and NGO Green Home are implementing the project MARICIES (Marine Awareness, Recycling, and Innovation through Community Engagement and Solutions).
The MARICIES project aims to address the creation of marine litter by improving the management system for worn-out fishing nets in the territory of the municipality of Ulcinj, contributing to better collection of waste nets, but also by including them in the circular economy system and analyzing the possibilities of producing new items from this material.
Fishing gear and lost or discarded fishing nets, ropes and other equipment found in the sea continue to “catch” fish and other marine species even after we stop using them if we do not properly dispose of them. Fishing gear makes up about 10% of marine litter and it is estimated that 500,000 to 1 million tons of fishing gear are discarded or lost in the seas and oceans every year. Fishing gear endangers seabirds, fish, sharks, turtles, rays and other marine organisms that become trapped or entangled in the nets and die from injury, exhaustion or starvation. When fishing gear is swallowed, it can cause gastrointestinal perforation, obstruction, sepsis, toxicity and starvation in animals. Fishing nets are among the most dangerous objects because they can extend to great depths and catch fish by entangling them. They travel thousands of kilometers and continue to entangle marine animals, even when they are inactive on the seabed.
Fishing gear can persist in the sea for hundreds of years, during which time it poses a threat to wildlife, habitats, coastal communities and our health. In addition to the fact that fishing gear kills around 2-3 trillion fish and other aquatic animals every year, this waste is also a problem for ship propellers.
The NGO Green Home is responsible for implementing components related to raising awareness and educating fishermen and local communities about the dangers of marine litter through the implementation of educational workshops and international conferences.
The MARICIES has indirectly received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation action programme, via the Horizon Europe Framework Programme issued and executed under the REMEDIES project (Grant Agreement no. 101093964).
