The Extended Producer Responsibility for Fishing Gear Containing Plastic

The Producer Responsibility for Fishing Gear Containing Plastic is introduced as part of the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive and serves several purposes:

• Reducing plastic pollution in the marine environment,
• Preventing ghost fishing caused by lost and abandoned fishing gear,
• Promoting responsible production and waste management,
• Fulfilling the EU’s goals for a circular economy and its ambition to reduce plastic waste, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 14 on conserving and sustainably using the oceans,
• Creating financial incentives for reuse and recycling.

The businesses affected by the Producer Responsibility for Fishing Gear Containing Plastic include:

Producers: Companies that manufacture fishing gear containing plastic and market it in Denmark or the EU, regardless of whether production takes place in Denmark or abroad.

Importers of fishing gear: Companies that import fishing gear containing plastic into Denmark from other EU countries or third countries. Importers are considered producers if they place the products on the Danish market.

Distributors and retailers: If a distributor or retailer markets products under their own name or brand, they are also covered by the producer responsibility. This means they are responsible for the take-back and proper handling of fishing gear when it becomes waste.

Businesses selling fishing gear directly to end users: This includes both physical stores and online retailers that sell fishing gear containing plastic to private or professional fishers.

Producers outside Denmark: Foreign producers that sell fishing gear directly to Danish customers (e.g., through e-commerce) must also register under the scheme. They may appoint a representative in Denmark to manage their obligations.

Fishing gear containing plastic is divided into two main categories: Commercial fishing gear and other fishing gear.

Commercial fishing gear:

• Towed fishing gear containing plastic, including trawls, seines, dredges, and Danish seines.
• Fishing gear in general containing plastic: Any object or equipment used to track, catch, or farm fish.

Other fishing gear:

• Fishing gear containing plastic that is not classified as commercial fishing gear.

Types of fishing equipment covered:

Fishing gear containing plastic will be assessed based on criteria such as durability, reusability, repairability, and recyclability.

If all these requirements are met, a discount will be applied to the costs associated with the producer responsibility.

If the requirements are not met, a penalty will be imposed, which will result in higher costs for managing the producer responsibility.

The producer responsibility is expected to cost an annual amount in the millions.

If your business is subject to the Producer Responsibility for Fishing Gear Containing Plastic, you must register in the producer responsibility register and designate us as your chosen PRO.

Membership with Fiskeriretur

Until now, enrollment in Fiskeriretur has been handled via our sister PRO, Emballageretur.

Your business will need to join Emballageretur. As part of the registration, you must indicate to DPA (Danish Producer Responsibility) which producer responsibilities your business is subject to and which PRO will manage them.

Here, you should specify Emballageretur as the PRO handling your Producer Responsibility for Fishing Gear.

The annual membership fee is 1,500 DKK, regardless of how many of Retur’s PROs your business is a member of.

Remember to Set Up MitID Erhverv

MitID Erhverv has replaced NemID employee signature and must be used by all businesses, associations, and authorities with employees or users who need to log in to public self-service solutions.

Before Fiskeriretur takes over the management of your business’s producer responsibility, your company must confirm that we are handling the Producer Responsibility for Fishing Gear Containing Plastic on your behalf as part of the registration process. The approval occurs within the DPA’s systems, and to access them, your business must have MitID Erhverv.

Setting up MitID Erhverv can take some time, so we recommend that your business start the setup process now if you haven’t already begun.

The first report of fishing gear placed on the market in 2024 will be due on March 31st, 2025. After that, reporting will occur annually until March 31st.

When your business reports the quantities of fishing gear with plastic parts that you expect to place on the market, the quantities must be reported by weight in kilograms and divided into the two categories: Commercial Fishing Gear and Other Fishing Gear.

What does DPA say about producer responsibility for fishing gear containing plastic?

• Read more on DPA’s topic page for fishing gear.

Fiskeriretur is a non-profit PRO that manages your business’s Producer Responsibility for Fishing Gear Containing Plastic.

On behalf of your business, we assist with:

• Registering your business with the Danish Producer Responsibility (DPA),
• Reporting your quantities,
• Collecting used fishing gear from harbors,
• Ensuring the correct environmental treatment thereafter.

An entire industry has come together with Fiskeriretur to fulfill their part of the producer responsibility.

Fiskeriretur is part of Retur, the largest collection of PROs in Denmark. Built on 20 years of experience, we assist thousands of businesses in Danish industry with managing their producer responsibility.

By handling producer responsibility collectively – legally, financially, and practically – we ensure economies of scale for our members, are strong in negotiations, and can guarantee volume when it comes to responsible and cost-effective waste management, from collection to recycling, reusing in new products, or environmentally responsible disposal.

We operate non-profit and are the only PROs with membership democracy.

IN NEED OF HELP?

We are ready to assist you by phone Monday to Friday between 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

Call us at +45 3336 9198
Email us at retur@retur.dk.
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