According to Portuguese environmental publication Green Savers, a total of 8.5 tonnes of fishing nets have been recovered from the ports of Olhão and Quarteira as part of a project that will see maritime waste transformed into new textile fibres. Instead of ending up in a landfill or contributing to marine pollution, the recovered material will be reused in the production of clothing and footwear.

The initiative was carried out by Luságua, part of the AQUAPOR Group, through its participation in Portugal's Blue Bioeconomy Pact, a programme that brings together businesses, researchers and innovation partners to develop new uses for marine resources.

Fishing nets discarded in the ports of Olhão and Quarteira, both managed by Docapesca, were collected throughout the project before being sent for recycling and processing into materials suitable for the textile industry.

The textile project, led by the TMG Group, is developing a new range of clothing and footwear using material recovered from fishing nets alongside algae-based biomass.

Supporting Portugal's Blue Economy

The Blue Bioeconomy Pact brings together around 80 Portuguese organisations, including large companies, SMEs, start-ups and research centres. Together, they are working on new products, technologies and services designed to make better use of marine resources while encouraging more sustainable industrial practices.

Speaking to Green Savers, Cláudia Guerreiro, Innovation and CSR|ESG Manager at the AQUAPOR Group, said the project reflects the company's commitment to sustainability and innovation. She also highlighted the importance of strengthening value chains linked to the blue economy while raising awareness of marine pollution, particularly the impact of microplastics on marine ecosystems.

A second life beyond the sea

For the fishing nets collected in Olhão and Quarteira, retirement doesn't mean the end of the road. Once cleaned and processed, they will become part of new textile fibres, giving material that once spent years at sea an entirely different purpose.

The Blue Bioeconomy Pact represents an eligible investment of €133 million and has supported the development of 52 new products, processes, and services. According to the programme, the initiative aims to strengthen Portugal's position in the growing blue bioeconomy, a global sector expected to be worth around €200 billion by 2030.