New international project will work with harbours, fishers and local municipalities in Denmark and Sweden to test practical solutions for reducing net-cutting waste entering the sea.
KIMO International has launched REDUCE-NET-WASTE, a fully funded international project aimed at preventing small pieces of fishing nets and ropes from entering the marine environment. Working with participating harbours, fishing vessels and local municipalities in Denmark and Sweden, the project will test practical measures to reduce net-cutting waste at its source.
Small fragments of fishing nets and ropes are a significant source of marine litter, accounting for up to 32% of marine litter found on European beaches. Much of this waste is generated during the repair and maintenance of fishing gear, both aboard vessels and in harbour work areas. Although many harbours already have procedures for handling net cuttings, evidence about which solutions work best under different operating conditions is limited.
REDUCE-NET-WASTE aims to address this knowledge gap by testing and evaluating practical solutions in real-world harbour environments. Over the course of the project, KIMO International will work closely with participating harbours and fishers to identify suitable interventions, assess their effectiveness and gather evidence to inform future best-practice guidance.
Testing practical solutions where waste is generated
The project will focus on improving how net cuttings are created and managed during fishing gear maintenance. Measures being explored include improved collection and storage facilities on quaysides and in work areas, novel workflows and equipment for net repair, and the potential development of simple new equipment where existing solutions are insufficient.
Rather than applying a single approach across all participating locations, solutions will be selected and adapted in collaboration with harbour staff and local fishers to ensure they are practical and suited to existing operations.
The effectiveness of each intervention will be assessed primarily by measuring the amount of net cuttings collected, providing an indication of waste that could otherwise enter the sea. Qualitative feedback from harbour staff and fishers will complement these measurements, helping the project understand how well individual solutions work in practice and whether they can be adopted more widely.
Working together for cleaner harbours and healthier seas
Collaboration is central to REDUCE-NET-WASTE. Participating harbours will act as active project partners, working alongside two local fishing vessels and local net makers each to select and test solutions, support data collection and share their experiences.
The project have established partnerships with six harbours, local fishers and net makers. Participating partners will receive funding to test equipment and workflows, alongside compensation for staff time spent on project activities. Their findings will also help inform future guidance under the regional marine protection frameworks HELCOM and OSPAR.
Partners
KIMO International
Grebbestad Harbour, Tanums Municipality, Sweden
Hönö Habour, Öckero Municipality, Sweden
Skagen Habour, Frederikshavn Municipality, Denmark
Skælskør Harbour, Slagelse Municipality, Denmark
Strandby Harbour, Frederikshavn Municipality, Denmark
Fishing vessels in Denmark and Sweden.
Building on KIMO’s existing work
REDUCE-NET-WASTE builds on KIMO International’s previous work to prevent pollution from net cuttings. In 2020, KIMO published a set of best-practice recommendations for harbours and fishers, developed with input from stakeholders in Denmark, Sweden, Scotland and the Netherlands.
The new project will test, further develop and document the effectiveness of these approaches, helping turn existing recommendations into practical solutions supported by real-world evidence.
Ultimately, the project aims to prevent net-cutting waste from entering the marine environment by tackling pollution where it originates: during the repair and maintenance of fishing gear.
Project duration: September 2026 – December 2028
Funding: REDUCE-NET-WASTE is fully funded by the Baltic Sea Action Plan Fund and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management.
Through cooperation between KIMO International, harbours, fishers and local municipalities, REDUCE-NET-WASTE will help identify workable ways to reduce fishing-related marine litter and support cleaner harbours and healthier seas.