Background This project tackles the problem of fishing industry waste products, in an area where the fishing sector is fundamental. The current management of these waste products is poor. The consequences for the marine environment and therefore for fishing stocks are very important. Set out below are three of the main factors that make it impossible to achieve suitable management of this problem under current conditions: 1) Lack of coordination between agencies extends to high level. Responsibility for the management of waste produced in one area falls within the remit of several bodies, making it difficult to achieve proper management and correct monitoring. 2) Selective collection of waste is not well developed. In certain areas it is non-existent. The infrastructures and systems for selective collection of waste at ports are lacking, for various reasons. 3) The waste generated within vessels is thrown into the sea. Most solid waste generated on fishing vessels continues to be thrown into the sea. To a lesser extent, the same applies for pleasure craft. The participation of fishermen’s cooperatives in the project demonstrated that it addresses an issue of high economic and environmental interest. The interest shown by other supporters of the project also demonstrates this: nautical clubs and societies, environmental associations, consumer associations, neighbourhood associations and so on. The team responsible for preparation of the project believed that its development would contribute to the application, updating and development of Community environmental policy, and of legislation in this field, as well as to the promotion of initiatives for sustainable development. Objectives The project's objectives are closely related to the problems outlined under ‘Project background’: - Creating integrated management, with the start-up of an organisational structure in which all of the pertinent agencies are represented. - Development /optimisation of selective waste collection. Selective collection will be organised and developed in ports at what are to be called 'Ecopuntos portuarios' (Port Eco-points), which are places designed for efficient and satisfactory selective collection that are properly marked out, sign-posted and well equipped for providing and exchanging information and for motivating users. - Collection of waste from vessels and transfer to port. To promote increased collection and landing of this waste, a new system will be tested: fitting small containers, some with double compartments, to a number of fishing and leisure vessels. The expected environmental results are estimated to be as follows: - Increase in the collection of volume of waste from vessels from the estimated 10 percent at present to 60 percent by the end of the third year. - Development of selective collection for certain dangerous waste (such as paints, solvents and their containers, inter alia) and problematic waste (fishing nets, tackle, etc.), so as to achieve a level of collection of 50 percent of waste generated by the end of the third year. - Increase in the collection of used oil up to a level of 90 percent (volume) of that produced by the sector. - Increase in the selective collection of paper, glass and containers from the current estimate of 5 percent (volume) up to 20, 40 and 60 percent respectively during the first, second and third year of the project's development. - Suitable dissemination of the project so that 80 percent of fishermen, port workers and habitual users of sailing clubs know its objectives, proposals and results. Results The Ecopoints were installed in twelve Galician ports (As Sinas, Carril, Meloxo, O Campo, O Grove, O Xufre, Portonovo, San Tomé, Sanxenxo, Tragove, Vilaxoán, Vilanova) at the end of December 2003. The Ecopoints were designed to collect the following waste: - Hazardous waste: batteries, paints and dissolvent, products for cleaning, used oils (container MARPOL) - Problematic waste: nets, ropes and remains of equipment; plastic boxes, tyres, life vests, iron and waterproof clothes; wood. - Similar to urban waste: glass; paper; plastic, bricks and tins; organic matter. - Containers for boats: green and yellow bags were given. Also 20 and 40 litres containers and batteries containers were given. The delay in the execution of the project meant that there was only a six month period for measuring results, instead of the two years expected. However, the beneficiary undertook surveys more frequently during that period in order to obtain a sufficient level of information. As soon as the containers were installed they were filled, especially the ones for fishing nets, bulky items and wood. In each port, waste was collected in different proportions. In summary, the waste production in the first semester 2004 was approximately 2.5 Tn/day across the participating ports. At the beginning there were several problems with waste separation and the waste was not always put in the correct container. An awareness campaign was executed and because of that, by the end of the project, the containers were correctly used in 90 percent of cases. The beneficiary stated that the quantitative results established in the proposal had been achieved, but he did not deliver any appropriate study on this issue. The general result of the project was the progressive use of the containers, which is expected to increase further, achieving different proportions for each fraction. During the six months in which the Ecopoints were working, the quantity collected exceeded all expectations. For the MoT this is an indication of the success and necessity of the project. This project is wholly reproducible in the fisheries sector: - Technically, the measures that were tested are perfectly reproducible in any similar geographical area, since they are not at all complex: - The equipment employed can be easily obtained. - The creation of an organisational structure is only dependent on the existence of an initiative on the part of an organisation like, as in this case, the Mancomunidad de Municipios, and the willingness of the entities involved. With effective co-ordination, this structure functions successfully and is useful. - The development and optimisation of the selective collection of waste is possible, with the co-operation of the other parties involved, provided the project can rely on a technical team capable of analysing the situation from the outset and of proposing viable alternatives - From the socio-economic point of view, the measures proposed are perfectly applicable, since the social and economic characteristics of many other regions in Europe resemble markedly those of the area where the pilot project was developed. This is true in respect of the activities of the fisheries sector, the types of vessels used, the types of ports, the organisation of the sector, etc. The beneficiary stated that the implementation of the project in other areas will also indirectly benefit employment, but he did not deliver any appropriate study on this issue.