Karadeniz Technical University’s Pivotal Role in the BlackNETs Mission

At the heart of the regional effort to combat marine debris is Karadeniz Technical University’s (KTÜ) Department of Marine Sciences and Technology Engineering, which served as the official Turkish partner for the BlackNETs ("Exorcising the Black Sea's Silent Killers") project. Under the coordination of Prof. Dr. CoÅŸkun Erüz, the KTÜ team spearheaded localized implementation across the Turkish coastline stretching from BeÅŸikdüzü to Of in Trabzon. The university team mobilized local fishers, port authorities, and professional divers to conduct comprehensive surveys, map out high-risk underwater accumulation zones, and lead hands-on retrieval operations that extracted thousands of kilograms of lethal derelict fishing gear from Eastern Black Sea waters by bridging academic research with direct community engagement.

A Regional Blueprint to Eradicate "Ghost Fishing"

The collaborative framework championed by KTÜ and its international partners, including Romania's Mare Nostrum NGO, the Institute of Oceanology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and Georgia’s Ilia State University, has transformed how the entire Black Sea basin handles abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). By recognizing that localized cleanups must be paired with structural prevention, the BlackNETs consortium surpassed its initial targets by safely removing nearly 10 tonnes of hazardous gear. Supported by public awareness initiatives like the #Ghostbusters campaign and student workshops hosted at KTÜ's Sürmene Marine Sciences facilities, the project has successfully established a sustainable, cross-border model for long-term marine ecosystem protection.

Source:

"Breaking the ghost fishing cycle in the Black Sea" by Interreg TESIM