On 3 November 2025, the Romanian National Hub, in collaboration with the project BlackNETs: Exorcising the Black Sea's Silent Killers, co-financed by the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme, hosted a workshop in Constanța, Romania, to advance strategies and tools for preventing and reducing abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) in the Black Sea region.
The BlackNETs project, led by Mare Nostrum NGO in partnership with Karadeniz Technical University (Türkiye), the Institute of Oceanology – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgaria), and Ilia State University (Georgia) is a collaborative project that aims to implement practical actions across the Black Sea basin. These actions include geophysical and technical methods for mapping and recovering areas affected by ghost gear.
Organised within the #CMAinmycountry campaign, the workshop was key in defining tangible measures across key pillars: prevention, recycling, circular economy, and policy alignment. Participants discussed and reached consensus on the need for:
1) Immediate local actions and active involvement of high-level bodies.
2) Adoption of technical and environmental best practices for sustainable management.
3) Strong institutional support, sustainable financing, and community engagement.
The debate concluded with a concrete action roadmap, including voting and discussion on priorities, responsibilities, timelines, and monitoring mechanisms. Participants emphasised that policy decisions must be supported by techno-scientific monitoring, noting that without institutional capacity and funding, implementation is not feasible. Mobilising resources and engaging communities were highlighted as critical to transforming preventive measures into effective, long-term solutions.
The workshop showcased regional case studies and best practices currently being implemented across the Black Sea, potential pathways for commitment supporting the Common Maritime Agenda, and a shared vision towards future action within the blue economy.