EU-backed project to measure ‘water footprint’ of Mediterranean fisheries

IZMIR

In a bid to assess and mitigate water consumption in Mediterranean fisheries, a new EU-supported initiative, titled the “Wantefish” project, will calculate the “water footprint” of fishing activities across the region.

Spearheaded by universities in Türkiye, Spain, Italy, Croatia and Greece, and funded by the EU and the Turkish National Agency, the project aims to shed light on the water used in the catching, aquaculture and processing of seafood.

“This will be the first time that we systematically calculate the water consumption of our seafood production for both Türkiye and European waters,” explained İlker Aydın of Ege University’s Faculty of Fisheries, the project’s lead coordinator in Türkiye.

“Through the Wantefish project, we’ll analyze water usage across commercial fishing boats, fish farms and aquaculture processing facilities, using tailored algorithms to quantify their consumption.”

Highlighting the importance of tracking the water footprint for sustainable fisheries, Aydın noted that the project would go beyond just data collection.

“As a result of our work, an EU-accredited digital curriculum will be developed for higher education, with modules on water-saving methods, waste prevention and practical approaches to water conservation within the fisheries sector,” he said.

The educational content will cover details on Mediterranean fisheries production, water consumption data, and techniques for reducing water use. In addition to industry professionals, the curriculum will be accessible to the broader public, raising awareness about sustainable practices in seafood production.

The Wantefish project is set to commence in December and will run over a two-year period.

Similarly, Türkiye, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia joined efforts in a new initiative to tackle the rising threat of “ghost nets” — abandoned or lost fishing nets that continue to trap and kill marine life — in the Black Sea.

The project named “BlackNETs - Exorcising the Black Sea's Silent Killers” brings together universities from the four countries in a concerted effort to preserve the region’s marine ecosystem.

The 18-month, EU-funded project is spearheaded by Romania, with Türkiye’s Karadeniz Technical University (KTÜ) Faculty of Marine Sciences serving as a key partner.

The project aims to identify, map and remove approximately 8 tons of ghost nets from the sea, with 480,000 euros allocated for the ambitious initiative.

Last month, fishermen in the Aegean Sea reported a significant drop in fish stocks in the Gulf of İzmir, attributing the decline to increased pollution levels.

According to local sources, the variety and quantity of fish caught between Sept. 1-15 this year have plummeted by half compared to the same period last year. Fishermen noted that 60-70 percent of their catch is now being sent to fish farms as feed.