The recycling of fishing gear contributes to more sustainable fisheries by supporting responsible fishing gear stewardship. It achieves this by preserving and prolonging the use of valuable gear materials and components, incentivizing the collection and recovery of damaged and end-of-life fishing gears and abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gears, and by providing a valuable alternative to landfilling. This report reviews current fishing gear recycling technologies and practices, while also summarizing those technical measures and policy and regulatory instruments that can support fishing gear recycling. Finally, it touches on circular economy considerations for fishing gears.
The range and diversity of fishing gears used globally and locally necessitate recycling measures and complementary interventions tailored to specific regions and fishing techniques. It is important to include and communicate among various stakeholders involved in fishing gear recycling, such as policymakers, managers, regulators, fishing gear producers, manufacturers, assemblers, vendors, purchasers, fishers, port authorities, waste management agencies, and recycling businesses. Collaboration among these stakeholders ensures responsible and efficient recycling of fishing gear using the best available technology. The report stresses the need for systemic approaches that align effective fisheries and waste management governance with measures supporting fishing gear recycling from design and manufacturing through end-of-life management
