The BlackNETs “Exorcising the BLACK Sea’s Silent Killers” project, funded through the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme and co-financed by the European Union, has reached the end of the period. The main objective of the project was the minimization and quantification of lost or abandoned fishing nets in the Black Sea. Over the 18 months of implementation, 9,344.9 kg of fishing gear were removed, and areas with significant net accumulations were mapped.

Within the project, over 15 educational workshops for young people from all partner countries were organized, aiming to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the marine environment. In addition, four national workshops were held, one in each of the four Black Sea riparian countries, as well as a regional workshop entitled “From Awareness to Action: A Regional Approach to Tackling Abandoned, Lost or Discarded Fishing Gear”. The purpose of these workshops was to strengthen dialogue and cooperation at bilateral, sub-regional, and regional levels, in line with the objectives of the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea. Approximately 150 representatives from various fields participated in these events, including national and regional authorities, non-governmental organizations, and researchers. Throughout the project, public community events were also organized, one in each partner country, with attendance exceeding 1,000 participants per event.

The BlackNETs project aims to become a regional best practice model for combating marine pollution caused by fishing activities, within the framework of effective cross-border cooperation. BlackNETs “Exorcising the BLACK Sea’s Silent Killers” Karadeniz Technical University (Türkiye) partnership with the Institute of Oceanology – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgaria), and Ilia State University (Georgia). The total project budget amounts to €456,660.26.