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Within the framework and with the support of the GloLitter Partnerships project, falling under the umbrella of the OceanLitter Programme of IMO, jointly implemented by IMO and FAO, a National Workshop was held at the Federal University of Pernambuco in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, from 9 to 11 September 2025. The workshop was held upon completion of the Brazil FAO Global ALDFG Survey. The main objectives of the workshop were to:

• Present and discuss the results of the national survey
• Discuss technological innovations to reduce ghost fishing
• Evaluate the research methodology and support a national database
• Formulate recommendations for public policies and future actions
• Gather relevant stakeholders in order to promote dialogue and knowledge exchange

The workshop served to present at national level the results of two other activities funded by GloLitter, the Eco-Covo project and the Brazil FAO Global ALDFG Survey.

The Eco-Covo project presents technological innovations to reduce ghost fishing especially regarding practical solutions that may be implemented in the Brazilian fishery for lobster with traps. Prof. Vanildo Souza de Oliveira presented the results of the project which studied the development of an innovative modified lobster trap. The prototype presented seemed promising and also seemed to be well received by the fishers’ community.

The Brazil FAO Global ALDFG Survey has been carried out from 9 November 2024 until 13 May 2025, with 315 interviews in collaboration with the Rural Federal University of Pernambuco (UFRPE). The data collection was coordinated by UFRPE and carried out by partners in the coastal states of Brazil. Both the survey, as well as the trap modifications to reduce ghost fishing discussed also during the workshop, were implemented within the framework and with the support of GloLitter. FAO has developed the FAO Global ALDFG Survey, which collects information on quantitative amounts of and causes and prevention measures for the abandonment, loss and discard of fishing gear. The survey is running since 2021 and has involved so far 22 partners collecting data through 4716 interviews in 3 continents and 19 countries.

Moreover, the workshop served as an awareness raising event as it gathered other national stakeholders, not engaged in GloLitter, such as participants from academia, fishing industry and government to discuss the status of ALDFG in the country. It was a forum for dialogue and collective development of solutions between researchers, government officials, fishers, civil society organizations, and students who shared the results and discussed the methods of the on-going projects related to the monitoring and recycling of plastic litter, ultimately increasing the awareness of the activities that are running in the present and the needs for the developments planned in the future.