The kick-off meeting of the project, as well as a public event, were held in Chioggia, Italy, on May 9th and 10th. The conference brought together project partners, representatives of local government, universities, fishing associations, and environmental experts from Italy and Croatia. The meeting was opened by the mayor of Chioggia, Mauro Armelao, who emphasized the importance of the project for environmental conservation and the promotion of sustainable fishing. Additionally, Silvia Comiati from the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg Italy-Croatia Program presented the implementation plan for the program for 2024.
Professor Alberto Barausse from University of Padova (LP) presented the detailed objectives and activities of the FishNoWaste project, as well as the planned pilot activities for the fishing ports involved in the project – Chioggia, Brižine, Rimini, and Tribunj.
Vincenzo Viapiano from Chioggia port presented activities related to waste collection and management, along with plans for implementing pilot solutions for waste reduction. Massimo Pesaresi from Rimini port shared his experiences in marine litter collection and recycling of discarded fishing nets. Goran Kotur from the Port Authority of Split emphasized the importance of cooperation with local fishermen and municipal companies in implementing the pilot activities.
Dubravka Bojanić Varezić presented the long-standing collaboration between the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries from Split and the Fishing Cooperative Adria from Tribunj through a series of projects, highlighting the importance of educational activities aimed at students and youth, as well as cooperation with local fishermen in reducing marine litter.
