Curbing sea-based pollution: guidance document for ambitious implementation of SUP & revised PRF directives
A guide to outline and analyse the main provisions of the SUP Directive and PRF Directive, providing civil society recommendations for its ambitious and timely implementation to address fishing gear pollution.
A shared collaboration by Rethink Plastic alliance and Break Free From Plastic.
Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is of increasing concern due to its numerous environmental impacts. It is estimated that around 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear are lost or discarded in our oceans every year. Further to its pollution impact, the ability of ALDFG to continue to fish (referred to as “ghost fishing”) has detrimental impacts on fish stocks, food security, endangered species and benthic environments.
The Single-Use Plastic and Port Reception Facilities Directives (commonly referred to as SUP and PRF Directive respectively) share the objective of reducing marine pollution, with the SUP Directive focusing on the plastic items most commonly found on beaches (including fishing gear) and the PRF Directive on port reception facilities for sea-based waste through a range of measures, including market restrictions, economic measures and extended producer responsibility.
The present transposition guide will focus on the measures with the most important environmental potential to curb sea-based marine pollution, that are: fishing gear related provisions of the SUP Directive, port waste management provisions, fishing for litter and green ship concept of the PRF Directive.
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