Third practical workshop under WP2, 10.11.2025

KEST, in cooperation with coastal fishers from Western Estonia, successfully organised the third practical workshop under WP2.

While the first two workshops focused on identifying and testing different technological solutions for cleaning and sorting derelict fishing gear (DFG) retrieved from the sea, this time the emphasis was on mapping the quantities and material composition of end-of-life (EOL) fishing gear brought in by fishers to the dedicated collection container installed at Puise harbour.

The collected material consisted largely of nearly 30-year-old fyke nets, alongside various types of netting, floats, straps and ropes. During the workshop, participants used different cutting tools to separate materials by type, enabling more effective downstream handling and recycling.

A key goal was also to extract large, intact sections of fishing nets with significant surface area, which can be repurposed by volunteers to produce camouflage nets and anti-drone nets used by defence forces. We are pleased to confirm that this objective was achieved: several sample batches were selected and taken forward for joint testing with volunteers to assess their suitability for use in the defence sector.

This hands-on collaboration highlights the value of engaging local fishers in circular solutions and demonstrates how end-of-life fishing gear can gain new purpose through reuse and cross-sector cooperation.