More information on the Dutch project 
            Learn more about the continental arm of the project

The North Sea Directorate of the Dutch Government started, in co-operation with the fisheries association, the Fishing for Litter project in March 2000. Since then under the Save The North Sea Project, and through other regional funding since its completion, KIMO Netherlands has expanded the project to Ameland, Delfzijl, Eemshaven, Harlingen, Lauwersoog, Wieringen, IJmuiden, Scheveningen, Stellendam, Breskens, Colijnsplaat and Vlissingen.

The aim of the project was to clear the North Sea from litter, by bringing ashore the litter that is gathered in the fishermen's nets as part of fishing activities. Subsequently the litter was disposed of on land.  The co-operation of the vessels and their crew is without financial compensation. Idealism and a positive, modern opinion about good operating practice, is the motivation to participate.

In March 2000, the Dutch North Sea Directorate in co-operation with the fisheries association started the Vuilvisproject Den Helder. The aim of the project was to clean up the North Sea from marine litter by bringing ashore the litter gathered in nets during fishing. The pilot project was initiated to investigate whether the amount of collected litter would be high enough in relation to the efforts needed to collect, process and destroy the litter.

Since the beginning of the project in 2000 until March 2006, approx. 500 tonnes of litter were collected. Just over 1500 big-bags were collected, with an average weight of 300 kg. Note that a growing amount of fished up litter is collected separately since it's too big to effectively fit a big-bag. This is litter such as truck tires, fridges and large tree trunks. The litter consisted mainly of parts of shiploads, wood, packing material, decaying fishing gear and rope. After being delivered ashore, the litter is properly destroyed. The fishermen receive no remuneration for taking part in the project. Ten ships that land their fishing products at the harbour of Den Helder have participated. The North Sea Directorate has contracted the local port reception facility to collect the fished litter from the fishing vessels, in addition to their operational waste. New big bags for the collection of the litter have been regularly supplied to the ships. The North Sea Directorate have paid the costs for the collection and processing of the litter.

The 2007 OSPAR (http://www.ospar.org/) Update report noted: 

"A systematic survey and investigation of marine litter accumulated on the seabed was carried out in the years 1987–1995 by the Netherlands in the Dutch sector of the North Sea. Results from the survey indicated an average of 116 pieces of marine litter per km2 of seabed. Extrapolated to the entire Dutch sector of the North Sea at the time, these results would imply a total of 6.6 million pieces of marine litter, or approximately 8,600 tonnes of marine litter, on the seabed. Assuming that similar quantities of marine litter can be found all over the bottom of the North Sea, at least some 600,000 m3 of marine litter could be resting on the seabed."

Contact Mr Bert Veerman, KIMO Netherlands and Belgium National Coordinator - LVeerman@Milieudienst-IJmond.nl - for more information on Fishing for Litter Netherlands project.