MINOUW · Project

Proven Fishing Technologies That Cut Unwanted Catches and Boost Compliance

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Imagine you're a fisher and new EU rules say you can't throw back unwanted fish anymore — but your nets keep catching them anyway. This project brought together fishers, scientists, and gear engineers across 10 countries to figure out practical fixes: better nets, smarter gear, and maps showing exactly where problem catches happen. They tested these solutions at sea in real fishing operations, then trained fishers and managers on how to use them. Think of it as giving the fishing industry a GPS-guided upgrade to catch only what they want.

By the numbers

consortium partners collaborating across disciplines

European countries covered in testing

total project deliverables produced

demonstration deliverables including GIS maps and pilot plans

SMEs involved in technology development

The business problem

What needed solving

European fishing companies face a costly compliance challenge: the EU landing obligation bans discarding unwanted catches at sea, but conventional gear still catches significant volumes of undersized or non-target fish. Bringing these unwanted catches to port means extra handling, storage, and processing costs with little market value, squeezing already thin margins in the fishing industry.

The solution

What was built

The project produced GIS maps of discard hotspots and juvenile fish density distributions, field-tested selective gear modifications and pre-catch identification technologies, implementation plans for pilot fisheries with detailed workplans, ecosystem models, cost-benefit analyses, and training programs delivered to fisher organizations and fisheries controllers across 10 European countries.

Audience

Who needs this

Fishing fleet operators struggling with EU discard ban complianceFishing gear manufacturers developing selective equipmentSeafood companies pursuing eco-certification or sustainability labelsFisheries management authorities and regional advisory councilsAquaculture and seafood processors looking to reduce supply chain waste

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Commercial Fishing & Fleet Management

SME

Target: fishing fleet operators and vessel owners

If you are a fishing fleet operator dealing with the EU landing obligation and rising costs from unwanted catches — this project developed and field-tested selective fishing gear modifications and pre-catch identification technologies across multiple European fisheries. The implementation plans cover specific pilot fisheries with detailed workplans, helping you adopt gear that reduces bycatch before it happens.

Fisheries Technology & Equipment Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: fishing gear and marine equipment manufacturers

If you are a fishing gear manufacturer looking for market-ready innovations — this project tested improved observational technologies for pre-catch identification and light-impact gear modifications in real sea conditions. With 70 deliverables including cost-benefit analyses and marketability assessments, the results provide a validated product development roadmap for next-generation selective fishing equipment.

Seafood Certification & Sustainability Consulting

any

Target: eco-labelling bodies and fisheries certification organizations

If you are a sustainability certification body or consultancy helping fishing companies meet the EU discard ban — this project produced GIS maps of high-discard areas and juvenile density distributions, plus social and economic instruments for incentivising selective fishing. These tools can strengthen your certification programs and help clients demonstrate compliance with 18-partner validated data from 10 countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these selective fishing solutions?

The project included cost-benefit analyses of tested technologies, but specific pricing is not published in the available data. Costs will vary by gear type, vessel size, and fishery. Contact the coordinator for detailed cost-benefit results from the field trials.

Can these solutions work at industrial scale across different fisheries?

Yes — the project tested solutions across multiple European fishery types in 10 countries (BE, EL, ES, FI, IL, IS, IT, NO, PT, UK), covering different species and gear configurations. Implementation plans were developed per pilot fishery with detailed workplans, designed for real-world deployment.

What about intellectual property and licensing for the technologies?

As an EU-funded Research and Innovation Action, results are typically available under fair licensing terms. The consortium includes 2 industry partners and 2 SMEs who co-developed the technologies. Contact the coordinator at CSIC (Spain) for specific licensing arrangements.

How does this help with EU discard ban compliance?

The project was specifically designed to support the EU landing obligation. It produced implementation plans for pilot fisheries, GIS maps showing high-discard areas and juvenile density distributions, and training programs for fisheries controllers and local managers. These are practical compliance tools.

What concrete tools and outputs are available?

The project delivered 70 deliverables including GIS maps of discard hotspots and juvenile distributions, implementation plans for pilot fisheries, field-tested gear modifications, ecosystem models, and training materials. Specialized seminars for fisheries controllers and one-week courses for fisher organizations were also completed.

How long would it take to adopt these solutions?

The project ran from 2015 to 2019 and produced ready-to-use implementation plans with detailed workplans and management evaluation plans. Training programs (one-week courses and specialization seminars) were designed for rapid knowledge transfer to end users including fishers and fisheries managers.

Consortium

Who built it

The MINOUW consortium of 18 partners across 10 countries is heavily research-oriented, with 8 research organizations and 4 universities making up two-thirds of the team. Only 2 industry partners and 2 SMEs participated (11% industry ratio), which is typical for fisheries research but means commercialization will require new industry partnerships. The coordinator, CSIC in Spain, is one of Europe's largest public research bodies. The geographic spread across the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Nordic fishing regions (ES, PT, IT, EL, NO, IS, FI, UK, BE, IL) ensures the solutions were validated across diverse fishery types — a strong selling point for any company operating in multiple European waters.

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICASCoordinator · ES
HAVFORSKNINGSINSTITUTTETparticipant · NO
WWF ITALIAthirdparty · IT
HELSINGIN YLIOPISTOparticipant · FI
NISEA SOCIETA COOPERATIVAparticipant · IT
HELLENIC CENTRE FOR MARINE RESEARCHparticipant · EL
WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE GREECEthirdparty · EL
ISRAEL OCEANOGRAPHIC AND LIMNOLOGICAL RESEARCH LIMITEDparticipant · IL
UNIVERSITY OF YORKparticipant · UK
CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHEparticipant · IT
CENTRO DE CIENCIAS DO MAR DO ALGARVEparticipant · PT
WWF EUROPEAN POLICY PROGRAMMEparticipant · BE
CONSORZIO PER IL CENTRO INTERUNIVERSITARIO DI BIOLOGIA MARINA ED ECOLOGIA APPLICATA G. BACCIparticipant · IT
UNIVERSIDAD DEL PAIS VASCO/ EUSKAL HERRIKO UNIBERTSITATEAparticipant · ES
HASKOLI ISLANDSparticipant · IS

How to reach the team

CSIC (Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas), Spain — use SciTransfer matchmaking for a warm introduction

Order a report on this consortium See AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to access MINOUW's selective fishing gear data, GIS discard maps, or implementation plans for your fleet? SciTransfer connects you directly with the research team.

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