A bold community-led initiative is tackling the growing issue of abandoned fishing gear in Welsh waters—and it’s making a real difference.

Recycle Môr, part of the wider Natur am Byth! programme, created and run by Sea Trust Wales, is dedicated to reducing the environmental and economic impact of End of Life (EoL) fishing gear through practical, accessible recycling solutions in small harbours and fishing communities that are often overlooked.

A single abandoned net is estimated to kill 500,000 invertebrates, 1,700 fish, and 4 seabirds.

EoL fishing gear is a serious and well-documented threat to marine life and the health of our seas. Across Wales, small harbours often lack adequate waste management facilities for commercial fishers. Where facilities do exist, recycling options are minimal to non-existent.

That’s where Recycle Môr steps in - with this growing project providing free-to-use, easily accessible recycling bins for old fishing gear in small harbours, removing the physical and financial barriers fishers face in disposing of gear responsibly.

These bins also encourage fishers to retrieve discarded nets and plastics spotted at sea, keeping harmful materials out of marine ecosystems. Once collected, this waste is recycled into high-quality, everyday items like sunglasses, litter pickers, litter-picking bag hoops, and knives—breathing new life into old gear.

Project Officer, Lloyd Nelmes, who developed the project, said: "Fishing gear is made from durable, high-quality materials that can take hundreds—if not thousands—of years to break down.

“Disposing of it in landfill is both wasteful and environmentally harmful. Recycle Môr tackles this by making recycling accessible through well-placed bins and, crucially, through face-to-face engagement with the fishing community."

Originally launched as a small-scale feasibility study, Recycle Môr quickly became a success. In under four years, and thanks to the dedication of local fishers, the project has recycled over 10 tonnes of fishing gear.

However, this success has created an urgent challenge: Recycle Môr is now struggling to keep up with demand due to limited funding.

There are currently nine recycling bins in operation across small harbours in Pembrokeshire - including Tenby and Saundersfoot - collecting waste daily. But the ability to maintain this network is at risk.

Without further financial support, the team may be forced to remove bins simply because they can no longer afford to empty them—a devastating step backwards in the fight to clean up our seas.

Funds will go directly towards the materials, transport, and postage needed to keep the bins operational and the waste flowing to recycling facilities. Any additional funds will support the long-term ambition of turning Recycle Môr into a nationwide solution, scaling up from success in Pembrokeshire to benefit more small harbours across Wales.

Recycle Môr is delivered as part of Prosiect Môr, the marine arm of the Natur am Byth! Programme, a partnership project led by Natural Resource Wales and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Welsh Government.

Sea Trust Wales is a marine conservation charity based in Pembrokeshire at the Ocean Lab, Goodwick.