We are happy to announce that „Mapping and recycling of marine litter and ghost nets on the sea-floor – marGnet project“ (www.margnet.eu) funded through Sustainable Blue Economy Fund of the European Union’s Maritime Fisheries Fund (EASME/EMFF/2017/1.2.1.12/S2/05/SI2.789314), is organizing the online event
„From marine litter to marine fuel“
On Thursday, 10th of December 2020
from 10.30 – 12.00
The event is devoted to presenting the results and achievements of the marGnet project on finding solutions to tackle marine litter on the sea-floor generated by sea-based activities such as fisheries and aquaculture.
We consider this a unique opportunity to find out about our new achievements in monitoring, mapping, sustainable removing and recycling of marine litter from the sea-floor, so we strongly encourage you to participate.
The marGnet Team
D3082 | Woman Art Venice
NET | Mandy Barker & CNR – Institute of Marine Sciences, Venice
27 novembre 2020 – 28 febbraio 2021
Venezia, Domus Civica, San Polo 3082
Una nuova mostra a D3082: la “galleria su strada” veneziana presenta NET | Mandy Barker & CNR – Institute of Marine Sciences, Venice.
Un progetto di denuncia e un invito all’azione contro l’inquinamento da plastica nei mari, attraverso le fotografie di Mandy Barker e la presentazione dell’innovativo progetto coordinato dal CNR: un sistema per mappare, rimuovere e riciclare le reti da pesca abbandonate o perse sui fondali
Un altro evento marGnet – ‘World Clean Up Day’ a Venezia
MARINE LITTER – RIFIUTI MARINI A VENEZIA. MONITORAGGIO, RIMOZIONE ED ECONOMIA CIRCOLARE
Il 3 e 4 ottobre si svolgerà a Venezia un evento, organizzato dall’Istituto di Scienze Marine del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-ISMAR) e da Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF), finalizzato a sensibilizzare cittadinanza, operatori economici ed istituzioni locali sulla problematica legata alla pervasiva presenza dei rifiuti marini lungo i canali della città e della sua laguna.
L’evento si articolerà in una conferenza che avrà luogo sabato 3 a partire dalle 15.30 presso il giardino del hotel Saturnia&International di Venezia ed in una iniziativa di Clean-up cittadino che interesserà il centro storico di Venezia, le isole minori e la gronda lagunare, inclusa la terraferma, per l’intera giornata del 4 ottobre.
La conferenza del 3 ottobre vedrà la partecipazione, in qualità di relatori, di rappresentanti delle istituzioni di ricerca scientifica pubbliche e private, associazioni di categorie del settore pesca e realtà industriali, coinvolte a vario titolo nella lotta contro i rifiuti marini. L’evento sarà l’occasione per informare il pubblico sull’entità e le varie tipologie di rifiuti presenti a Venezia sulla base di studi condotti dal CNR-ISMAR e da monitoraggi ed analisi condotte da Venice Lagoon Plastic Free in collaborazione con l’Istituto Tecnico e Tecnologico Montani di Fermo. Ampio spazio verrà dato anche alla presentazione di possibili soluzioni elaborate nell’ambito del progetto marGnet, coordinato dal CNR-ISMAR di Venezia, che prevedono l’impego di nuove tecnologie per la mappatura e rimozione di questi materiali e di un innovativo procedimento per la produzione di carburante marino derivante dalle plastiche raccolte.
La giornata di clean-up del 4 ottobre verrà svolta in collaborazione con numerose istituzioni ed associazioni del veneziano e sarà finalizzata alla raccolta capillare in tutto il territorio veneziano dei rifiuti marini ed in particolare i rifiuti plastici flottanti e depositati ai margini dei canali e delle barene attraverso la predisposizione di zone di intervento e punti di ritrovo per chiunque abbia voglia di partecipare. Il materiale recuperato verrà smaltito a norma di legge da Veritas e in parte sarà inviato all’impianto sperimentale di pirolisi a bassa temperatura di SINTOL a Torino, per una sua raffinazione e conseguente produzione di carburante a fini sperimentali.
Maggiori informazioni e modalità di partecipazione sono disponibili nelle locandine allegate.
Giornata dimostrativa per subacquei e pescatori a Lussinpiccolo, Croazia
Venerdì 25 settembre 2020, il Blue World Institute ha organizzato una giornata di dimostrazione del marGnet a Lussinpiccolo, in Croazia, e un workshop intitolato “Open Day per subacquei e pescatori”. Obiettivo principale di questo evento è stata la presentazione di un prototipo di dispositivo per il riciclo e la conversione dei rifiuti marini in biocarburante per motori marini, realizzato a seguito del progetto marGnet, cofinanziato dal Fondo europeo per gli affari marittimi e la pesca attraverso un bando per l’economia blu sostenibile . È stata l’occasione per il Blue World Institute per presentare al pubblico locale il risultato del lavoro del partner Sintol di Torino, i cui ingegneri hanno sviluppato il prototipo e completato così il processo di riciclaggio dei rifiuti marini. Tra le attività del progetto c’è lo sviluppo di metodi per rilevare i rifiuti sommersi e gli strumenti di pesca abbandonati e smarriti sul fondo, utilizzando un dispositivo acustico multiraggio. Pertanto, i colleghi scienziati dell’organizzazione partner Laguna Project di Venezia si trovano attualmente sull’isola di Lussino per testare questo metodo nei nostri fondali marini. È stata anche un’opportunità per il dr. Federico Riccato per tenere una lezione, ai subacquei riuniti, su pratiche sostenibili e protocollo per la rimozione dei rifiuti dai fondali. Poiché non è stato possibile portare il prototipo dall’Italia in Croazia a causa della pandemia COVID-19, è stato presentato ai partecipanti al workshop tramite materiale video e infografiche.
The first „marGnet“ local event – Clean up of the sea-floor and the coast at the island of Lošinj
On Saturday, 18th of May 2019 the Blue World Institute has organized clean up of the sea-floor and the coast at three bays at the island of Lošinj. This local event was organized for local community as a part of the activities of the „marGnet“ project co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and Croatian Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund in cooperation with local diving centre Sub Season and Mali Lošinj Tourist Board. Despite rainy weather, 18 divers participated with the support from 30 volunteers on the boats and on the coast plus additional 12 volunteers cleaning the adjacent beaches. In total, during the 3 hours of the action, 2t or 10 m3 of garbage was collected – car tires, glass bottles, fiber-glass pieces from the sinking boats, fenders, abandoned fishing pots and ropes, parts of the sunken pontoon. For all the participants we organized lunch and the presentations of the related topics – „Ecology of marine turtles and the threat of marine litter“ and „Underwater archeological sites at the Lošinj Archipelago“ with the visit to the Museum of Apoxyomenos.
The aims of this action were to improve status of marine environment in the intervention area by reducing the amount of marine litter (ML), increase public awareness on the problem of ML on the sea-floor and to promote healthy and sustainable living practices for protection of the marine environment by promoting the „marGnet“ initatives. Due to impressive results, good cooperation between our partners and great feedback from the participants, we are planning to continue with the organization of similar actions in the near future.
Pettition to change the Italian regulation on collecting marine litter from fishing boats
The „marGnet“ consortium supported the pettition of „Let the Fishermen Clean the Sea“ organized by a group of Italian environmental NGOs to promote changes to the Italian regulation on collecting marine litter from fishing boats. This initiative was the result of the „Clean Archipelago“ project initiated by the NGO Legambiente and Supermarket Chain Unicoop, Firenze. One of the aims of this project was to combat the problem of marine litter.
The pettition was started with the intention change current Italian legislation that encouraged Italian fishermen to discard any waste, that was accidentally caught in their nets, back in to the sea. This was because the regulation required fishermen to pay for the cost of disposal if they brought it back to the harbour. Thanks to this petition, the proposal of a new law called „Salva Mare“ which allows fishermen to bring back marine litter for disposal free of charge in the harbour, has passed to the Italian Council of Ministers.
Finally, Italian fishermen will now be able to bring the marine litter to the coast and leave it in ecological islands that will be set up in the harbours. According to the “Salva Mare”, fishermen can also get an environmental certificate and their catch will be labelled as environmentally friendly.
Public presentation of the „marGnet“ project at „Blue Day“ event at Maritime School in Bakar, Croatia
The Maritime School in Bakar invited representatives of the Blue World Institute to present the „marGnet“ project at the „Blue Day“ event organized on the 29th of March 2019. This traditional event was organized by the oldest Nautical School in Croatia and has for the last 13 years aimed at increasing public awareness for the need to protect the marine environment. The main topic of this year’s event was „A Drop of the Sea“ referring to the Sea as a source of Life but also, underlining increasing problem of plastic pollution. Hence, the main focus of the presentations for 150 participants of the event was microplastics and problem of plastic pollution of the sea in general. The „marGnet“ project was presented as an „Inovative model for the solution of marine litter – EU project marGnet“. For us it was a great opportunity to interact with future generations of seamen.
Representatives of all partner’s organizations participated in January in Venice at the Kick off Meeting of the „marGnet“ project (EASME / EMFF / 2017 / 1.2.1.12 / S2 / 05 / SI2.789314) funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund as part of the “Sustainable Blue Economy ” call. At the meeting, technical and methodological characteristics of the project activities were presented and numerous details of project implementation were agreed.
The objectives of the project are primarily to find innovative solutions for dealing with marine litter problems. The focus is on marine litter that is characterized as abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear and other waste generated at the sea floor as a result of various activities such as fishing and aquaculture. As part of the project, selected area of the sea floor will be mapped at the Venetian lagoon and in the Cres-Losinj archipelago by mean of combined multi-sensor high resolution acoustic methodes. In order to determine hotspots of marine litter on the sea floor on a wide scale predictive model, able to stimulate dispersion of the sinking marine litter will be developed.
Marine litter collected during various project activities such as measurements and mapping, as well as promotional dive clean up actions will be collected and the plastic parts will be recycled in an innovative manner in biodiesel fuel for the vessels. We expect the recycling process of the collected fishing nets and other marine plastic litter to be displayed and promoted to the general public during the Demonstration days that will be organized in Venice and Mali Losinj next year. We hope that the foreseen goals will be met and that some of the above-mentioned innovative technologies and solutions will one day find wider application in practice.