Project COREEL Kick-off Meeting 06.12.2024

On Friday, 6 December 2024, partners of Project COREEL (Collection and Recycling of End-of-Life and Lost Fishing Gear – EE-LV00152) gathered for the hybrid (both in-person and online) Project Partner kick-off Meeting.

Representatives from KEST, EDA, KPR, and LHEI joined to align on project goals, responsibilities, and next steps.

Key outcomes included:

• Agreement on regular virtual meetings every second Wednesday.
• Preparation of partner contact lists, deputies, and reporting procedures.
• Planning for the first in-person partner meeting in Pärnu (March 2025).
• Discussion on procurement of ROV tools, fieldwork pilots, and collection of fishing effort data.
• Agreement on communication and visibility actions (posters, stickers, websites, and social media).
• Planning for photo & video documentation to support awareness and exhibitions.

The project, co-funded by Interreg Estonia-Latvia Programme 2021-2027, will contribute to cleaner seas by recovering and recycling abandoned and lost fishing gear, while fostering collaboration across Estonia and Latvia. Keep the Estonian Sea Tidy (KEST) is the Lead Partner of the project. Other project partners include Estonian Divers Association, Kurzeme Planning Region and Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology. Stay tuned for updates as we move into the next phase of field activities in spring/summer 2025.