Lead institution:
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) – Denmark
GEAR-UP, aligned with the Ocean Decade Programme SMARTNET and the ICES Working Group on Innovative Gears and Instruments for Fisheries and Ecosystems (WGING), advances sustainable fisheries across three sea basins by building on the triad of EU-funded sister projects: ECO-CATCH (BANOS region), MarineGuardian (Atlantic and Arctic), and an upcoming Mediterranean project.
GEAR-UP co-designs and tests innovative, climate-resilient fishing gears with fishers, industry, local/Indigenous groups, policy makers and other stakeholders to reduce bycatch, protect sensitive species, and support ecosystem health.
The project emphasizes capacity building for Early Career Ocean Professionals and all stakeholders, specially from Island States (incl. from Cyprus to Macaronesia up to Newfoundland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands); and promotes open data sharing and international collaboration to achieve the Ocean Decade’s vision of sustainable, resilient marine ecosystems and communities.
Start Date: 15/10/2025
End Date: 31/05/2030
Lead Contact: Caecilia Manago (caecilia.manago@ices.dk)