In collaboration with the consortium of Chioggia shipowners, the BioDesign Foundation has developed and implemented an effective solution for the collection and disposal of discarded fishing nets and the plastic “caught” in fishing nets: this has given rise to the Vox Maris (Voice of the Sea) project.

The foundation provides fishing harbours and fish markets with containers in which fishermen can dispose of fishing waste, such as worn-out nets and other materials. All collected material is then weighed and processed by the foundation’s staff. Creating this collection infrastructure is essential because it provides a legal and effective solution to fishermen, who want to avoid the costs associated with special waste classified fishing equipment waste and do not want to dump their nets at sea to protect the marine environment.

Since the inception of Vox Maris in April 2021, more than 570.000 kg of fishing nets and other fishing equipment have already been collected in Chioggia Venice, preventing their disposal in the sea.

Around 100,000 tonnes of fishing nets are estimated to end up in the Mediterranean Sea every year. They take between 300 and 600 years to decompose and break down into microplastic particles; these particles pollute and poison the sea, its fauna and ultimately human beings. In addition, about one third of the nets do not end up on the seabed, but, instead, remain adrift, continuing to capture and kill marine animals. These nets, known as ‘ghost nets’, are extremely harmful to many species, including dolphins and turtles. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) estimates that ‘ghost nets’ catch around 150,000 tonnes of fish each year. It is essential to prevent fishing nets, gear and products used by fishermen from being disposed at sea.

BioDesign Foundation’s immediate target is to reduce the number of nets discarded at sea in Italy to ZERO. This is possible and has been proven in Chioggia. In order to achieve this in all 272 fishing ports in Italy, we need all the support we can get.