New Dsolve Research on Ghost Fishing Presented at WASTEREDUCE in Croatia

During the WASTEREDUCE project info days, held on 22 January 2026 in Pula, Croatia, Dorian Vodopia presented the recent developments in SFI DSolve research area 5: Circularity of bio-based, biodegradable and non-degradable plastics.

The WASTEREDUCE project focuses on waste management challenges in protected and Natura 2000 areas in Italy and Croatia. Dorian conducts his doctoral research in both Norway and Croatia. In Norway, fishers report locations where they have lost their fishing gear, and annual retrieval operations are carried out. Based on this type of data collection, Dorian has presented two published articles: “Retrieval operations of derelict fishing gears give insight on the impact on marine life” and “Ghost fishing catch estimates based on annual retrieval operations in Norwegian waters”.

In Croatia, such an annual retrieval system is not yet in place, so ghost fishing impacts on the marine environment can only be assessed through in-situ trials. Preliminary results from an in-situ trial conducted in Croatian waters were presented.

He also presented the preliminary results from the scientific study titled “Global ghost fishing characterization model for derelict bottom set gillnets”, addressing the main objective of his doctoral research.

Lastly, he presented his post-PhD plans to pursue a Researcher Project for Early Career Scientists (FRIPRO) funded by the Research Council of Norway, with a project titled “Ghost fishing assessment and mitigation in the Adriatic Sea (GHOST ADRIA)”.