In 2019, FAO alongside the Global Ghost Gear Initiative hosted four regional capacity building workshops between May and November 2019 on best practices to prevent and reduce abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG).

The workshops were supported by the European Union, the Government of the Netherlands, and the Government of the United Kingdom. They covered the Southwest Pacific, Southeast Asia, West Africa, South America and the Caribbean regions and involved Government representatives, Regional Bodies, relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, the fishing industry and other regional stakeholders.

Workshop participants reviewed existing measures to address fishing-related marine debris, in particular ALDFG, considered best available information that supports further development of best practices for the management of fishing gear, discussed provisions required within international instruments and identified region-specific challenges, opportunities and priority needs.

The main objective was to increase understanding and awareness of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Marking of Fishing Gear (VGMFG) and relevant best practice as outlined in the GGGI’s Best Practice Framework for the Management of Fishing Gear (BPF). A video of the last workshop held in Panama can be watched here.