On September 17, 2024, a roundtable on comprehensive waste management and collection in fishing ports, as well as the implementation of planned activities under the FishNoWaste project in Croatia, was held at the Municipality of Tribunj. Key stakeholders participated in the meeting, including the Municipality of Tribunj, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the local company Tribunj, the Fishermen’s Cooperative Adria, the Environmental Protection Department of the Šibenik-Knin County, the Sunce Association for Nature, Environment, and Sustainable Development, the Public Institution Nature of the Šibenik-Knin County, and representatives from the fishing community. The meeting was moderated by representatives from the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Pero Tutman and Dubravka Bojanić Varezić.
The importance of previous projects, such as DeFishGear and ML-REPAIR, was emphasized for their continuous efforts to address the complex issue of waste management in fishing ports. A monitoring system, which has been in place for many years, has identified key problems and specific areas of concern. There is consensus on one crucial point – the need to establish a sustainable model for overall waste management. One significant challenge is the management of passively caught waste, as fishermen bear the costs of disposal as polluters or owners of the collected waste, even though they are intermediaries who directly benefit the community and environment by collecting it. Passively caught waste falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Sea and Infrastructure and is categorized as ship-generated waste. Upon arriving on land, it should be disposed of in port reception facilities, which the concessionaire is required to provide. When handing over passively caught waste to a waste management company, a transfer document must be completed, and the company then submits an annual report on the composition and quantity of collected waste. On the other hand, waste management, including marine litter, is the responsibility of the Ministry for the Environment and the Green Transition.
In conclusion, the distribution of responsibility for addressing this issue is seen as crucial. Furthermore, insufficient knowledge of legislation, illegal waste disposal by individuals within the community, and the inefficiency and delays of the ministries in addressing such issues are considered the greatest obstacles.
