This spring, the NETTAG+ team achieved a significant milestone with their acoustic transponder technology designed to locate lost fishing gear. Extensive testing was conducted in the North Sea by Newcastle University and Succorfish Ltd aboard the research vessel RV Princess Royal, focusing on the range, reliability, and accuracy of the transponders.
On June 8, 2024, in celebration of World Oceans Day, the fishing community of Vila do Conde and Póvoa de Varzim in Portugal came together for a beach clean-up event titled “The Sea is Also Cleaned by Us!”.
Sandra Ramos from CIIMAR gave a lecture on “Marine litter and microplastics: Solutions to prevent and reduce impacts” to 20 students from the 3rd cycle onwards in Matosinhos (Portugal) on 22 May, where the NETTAG+ project was presented.
Fortunately, the mooring also included a NetTag underwater acoustic transponder developed by UNEW to locate lost fishing gear. So on the 14th Nov 2023, around 6 weeks after the mooring was deployed at sea, the NetTag Surface Location System was successfully used to pinpoint the position of the transponder. All instruments and rigging gear were recovered by pulling a grappling hook over the exact resting place of the mooring.
The NETTAG+ project, coordinated by CIIMAR, hosted its first Annual Meeting in Matosinhos on May 13-14, 2024. This pivotal gathering brought together project partners, members of the Advisory Board, and the Project Officer to review progress, plan future activities, and foster collaboration.
On April 17, 2024, the NETTAG+ project took center stage during the PREP4BLUE webinar titled “Positioning Fishers as Core Partners for Mission Ocean Projects.” The event, held online, emphasized the vital role of fishers in achieving the goals of the European Mission: Restore Our Ocean and Waters.
ERINN and USC participated in the 2024 UN Ocean Decade Conference, which took place in Barcelona (Spain) from 10 to 12 April. The NETTAG+ project was presented at the ERINN stand and information leaflets were distributed to raise awareness of the project’s goals and solutions.
From March 4th to 8th, 2024, Brussels became the epicenter of marine conservation efforts with the inaugural edition of European Ocean Days, a week-long series of events focusing on Europe’s seas. The NETTAG+ project participated in several events, showcasing its innovative approaches to marine litter mitigation and engaging with policy-makers, researchers, and other stakeholders.
Funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Program, Grant No. 101112812 (NETTAG+). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
UK partners University of Newcastle Upon Tyne and Succorfish Ltd. are funded by the UKRI under the agreement on the association of the UK to Horizon Europe (Grant No. 10066822).
