The Fishing for Litter Initiative

PRESS RELEASE

Fishing for Litter – A financial opportunity for fishers

14th November 2023

On average, marine litter costs the Scottish fishing industry an estimated 12 to 13 million
euros per year. This is equivalent to approximately 5% of the total annual revenues from
fisheries. Currently, researchers are exploring monetary incentives for fishers to reduce
plastic pollution through the implementation of the Fishing for Litter Initiative.
Originally implemented by Dutch fisheries in the year 2000, the Fishing for Litter Initiative
has since been adopted in many countries, including England, providing fishers with a
responsible way to dispose of marine litter. The initiative works by providing fishers with
hardwearing bags to store marine litter whilst out at sea. Once ashore, litter is bought to
designated waste disposal sites in the harbour, and disposed of free of charge. The program
has been shown to reduce the volume of litter accumulating in the oceans, allowing
fisherman to spend more time catching fish by reducing the amount of time spent
untangling litter from their nets.
Nathan Ould, a fisherman from Brixham, described the programme as a “win-win situation,
which has made his job easier”.
For many fishing communities, the economy relies on the health of the fishing ports, but due
to the depletion of marine fish stocks, fishers are seeking out ways to supplement their
incomes. A monetary reward for disposing of marine litter could be the answer to both
marine stock and economy depletion.
Fishers could provide the plastics they catch in their nets to be turned back into valuable
resources and by doing so, would receive a financial reward. This would provide a way
forward to a circular economy for both the fishers and the marine plastics they catch.
Following this, researchers conclude that monetary incentives effectively tackles the global
marine litter problem; whilst allowing the development of a more efficient and sustainable
fishery industry.
ENDS
Photos attached:
1. A busy fishing port located in Newlyn, Cornwall. Photo credit: Jacob Wright
2. Fishing for Litter Initiative disposal site. Photo credit: Faye Read
For further details about this research, please visit:
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.722815
 References:
Nguyen, Linh, and Roy Brouwer. “Fishing for Litter: Creating an Economic Market for Marine Plastics in a

Sustainable Fisheries Model.” Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 9, 7 Apr. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.722815. Accessed 14 Nov. 2023.