Fishing for Litter - International Programme

Your notes (local)

Relevance Comment (remote)

Enriched Foundation · Found: 2026-03-11 12:21

Global fishing-for-litter initiative started by KIMO in 2004. Simple project equipping fishermen to collect and properly dispose of marine litter caught during fishing operations. Active across multiple North Sea and Baltic ports.

Source: https://fishingforlitter.org/

Funding Details

Funder: KIMO International / Fishing for Litter
Funding Goal: To reduce marine litter by equipping fishing vessels with bags and waste disposal infrastructure to collect litter caught during fishing operations, resulting in cleaner seas and beaches across European ports.
Funding Amount: No direct financial grants offered. The program provides equipment (collection bags) and waste disposal infrastructure to participating fishing vessels and ports. Programme hub is co-funded by Interreg/Clean Atlantic.
How to Apply: Participation is open to all ports and fishing vessels. Interested parties should visit the country-specific programme page or contact KIMO International directly at info@kimointernational.org or +45 23359457.
Target Region: North Sea, Baltic Sea, Atlantic (Europe-wide)
Contact: KIMO International, Stigsborg Brygge 105, 9400 Nørresundby, Denmark. Tel: +45 23359457. Email: info@kimointernational.org
Last Checked: 2026-03-11 16:22

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Eligibility: Open to fishing ports and fishing vessels across European member countries
Eligibility: Organisations or municipalities should be based in or operating in an OSPAR member country to align with the regional action plan

Project Scope

Scope: Participation involves equipping fishing vessels with collection bags for marine litter caught during normal fishing operations
Scope: Ports must provide appropriate onshore waste reception facilities for litter brought in by fishing vessels
Scope: The programme targets marine litter broadly — includes plastic, fishing gear, and other debris caught at sea

Required Documents

Documents: No formal application documents specified; initial contact via email or country programme page

Constraints

Constraints: This is a participation/action programme, not a grant funding scheme — no direct financial awards to applicants
Constraints: Country-specific programmes are independently managed; contact the relevant national programme or KIMO for local entry requirements

Summary

Fishing for Litter is an operational participation program launched in 2004 by KIMO International — a network of over 80 local government municipalities across eight European countries. The initiative equips fishing vessels with large bags to collect marine litter accidentally caught during fishing operations, which is then brought ashore at participating ports and properly disposed of. The program has grown from a single Dutch port to cover multiple countries across Europe including Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, England, Ireland, Spain, Greece, Italy, and Croatia. The program is not a traditional grant scheme but rather a collaborative action program: ports and fishing vessels can join as participants and receive the necessary equipment and waste reception infrastructure to take part. It is endorsed by OSPAR and aligned with the EU's revised Port Reception Facilities Directive, which makes specific provision for Fishing for Litter waste. The central hub website is supported by funding from the Interreg/Clean Atlantic programme. For marine conservation NGOs and coastal municipalities, the primary value lies in partnership and participation rather than financial grants. Organisations can adopt and run a national or regional Fishing for Litter programme, contributing to OSPAR's Regional Action Plan against marine litter. The program operates in the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions among others, and is actively expanding across Europe. KIMO International is headquartered in Nørresundby, Denmark, and coordinates the international network. Individual country programmes may have their own funding sources and structures, and prospective participants are directed to contact KIMO or their country-specific programme page for details on joining.

Historical Context

Started in 2004 at a single port in the Netherlands. Now active across more than a dozen European countries. Endorsed by OSPAR as part of its Regional Action Plan against marine litter. The hub website is supported by Interreg/Clean Atlantic funding. A 2024 project report was released by iSea for the Greek programme.

Why it was added

Core fishing-for-litter program removing plastic waste from seas, directly relevant to OPF plastic-circular

Similar Programs

Program	Source	Shared Tags
NABU Meere ohne Plastik (Seas without Plastic) For Communities / Cooperatives For NGOs Foundation Grant Technical Assistance Baltic Sea North Sea Coastal Protection Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution Waste Management	Foundation	10
Funding Opportunities Now Open for Baltic and North Sea ... For Communities / Cooperatives For NGOs For Researchers Multilateral Grant Baltic Sea North Sea Aquaculture Biodiversity Blue Economy Capacity Building Circular Economy Climate Coastal Protection Fisheries Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution	Nordic	9
FAMENET Report on Marine Litter under EMFAF For Communities / Cooperatives For NGOs For Researchers Government Multilateral Grant Baltic Sea North Sea Biodiversity Circular Economy Coastal Protection Fisheries Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution Recycling & Upcycling	EU	9
Horizon Europe - Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters For NGOs For Researchers Government Multilateral Grant Arctic Baltic Sea Mediterranean North Sea Biodiversity Blue Economy Climate Coastal Protection Fisheries Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution Research	EU	8
German Marine Conservation Foundation (Deutsche Stiftung Meeresschutz) For NGOs Foundation Grant Baltic Sea Global Biodiversity Coastal Protection Coral Reefs Fisheries Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution Research	Foundation	8

← Back to list