A roundtable discussion titled "Abandoned Fishing Gear - Pollution of Water Bodies: Problems and Practical Successes, Legal Aspects" will be held on October 22.
Address: Moscow, in-person and online format
Time: 10:00 - 15:30
Organizers: A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution (IEE RAS), Social and Ecological Union, "Microplastics - An Invisible Problem" project, Marine Mammal Council (MOO), Boomerang Club (ANO), and NPO DECO.
The roundtable invites participants to share experiences and discuss the results achieved during previous projects and activities, the challenges encountered, what lessons learned can be applied today, and what promising solutions we see for addressing the problem of pollution.
Event Program:
Block 1. 10:00 - 12:10
10:00 - 10:10 Welcome remarks by the organizers, regulations
Introduction: "General Problems of Abandoned Fishing Gear," Anna Filippova, PhD, Member of the Board of the Marine Mammal Council
10:10 - 10:25
"Positive Experience of Interaction between Government Agencies and Public Fisheries Inspectors," Dmitry Makarov, Head of the Fisheries Inspectorate Department for the Amur Region
10:25 - 10:40
"Organization and Conduct of Raid Measures Aimed at Detecting the Use of Illegal Fishing Gear, Collection of Abandoned Fishing Gear (Nets, Mardushi, and Longnets). Development of the Institution of Public Inspectors," Evgeny Lisitsyn, Director of the Muravyovsky Park ANO, Public Inspector Fisheries Protection
10:40 - 10:55
"Nets as Waste," Elizaveta Merinova, Social and Ecological Union, "Microplastics – An Invisible Problem" project
10:55 - 11:10
"Injuries of Steller sea lions and northern fur seals by foreign objects: history, quantitative assessment, and solutions in Russian waters," Vladimir Burkanov, PhD, board member of the Marine Mammal Council
11:10 - 11:25
"Concept of a Project to Reduce Net Waste Discharge in Bottom Trawl Fisheries," Alexey Golenkevich, President of the FORA Foundation
11:25 - 11:50
Discussion of reports, debate, proposals for a resolution
11:50 - 12:10 Coffee break
Block 2. 12.10 - 13.50
12.10 -12.25
"The Problem of Marine Mammal Entanglement in Russian Waters," Valentina Mezentseva, Chair of the Board of the Boomerang Club, Milena Morozova, Head of the Okhotsk Sea Bowhead Whale Project, Bioecologist, Researcher at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Fisheries, Russian Academy of Sciences
12:25-12:40
"On the Results of the 'Baikal Without Nets' Project," Olga Amelkina, Deputy Director General, Lake Baikal Foundation
12:40-12:55
"Fishery Reclamation as a Possible Tool for Reducing Pollution of Water Bodies from Abandoned and Lost Fishing Nets," Tatyana Shuvalova, Environmental Law Expert
12:55-1:10
"Distribution and Composition of Lost Fishing Gear on the Coastlines of the Barents and White Seas: Observations from 2019-2024," Olesya Ilyina, Moscow State University Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, Department of General Ecology and Hydrobiology
13.10 - 13.25
"Experience organizing raids in collaboration with public organizations and the territorial administration of the Federal Agency for Fisheries," Nikolai Kirillov, Chairman of the Council of the St. Petersburg Regional Public Organization "St. Petersburg Fishermen's Club." The fishing community's fight against poaching and abandoned nets.
1:25 PM - 1:50 PM
Discussion of reports, discussion, proposals for a resolution
1:50 PM - 2:10 PM Coffee break
Block 3. 2:10 PM - 3:30 PM
2:10 PM - 2:25 PM
"Fishing nets - a national disaster in the 'network' of a simple management decision," Alexey Zimenko, CEO, Wildlife Conservation Center (Image removed). 2:25 PM - 2:40 PM
"New forms of organization and motivation for volunteer expeditions to clean up plastic waste," Vasily Borisov, Whale Protection Fund (Image removed). 2:40 PM - 2:55 PM
"Citizen involvement as the most effective tool for helping animals affected by abandoned fishing gear and other debris," Yulia Sadovskaya, Director of the Rehabilitation Center
2:55 PM - 3:30 PM
Concluding remarks, discussion
Register for the roundtable discussion at this link.