As part of the BlackNETs Project titled "Exorcising the Black Sea's Silent Killers", another workshop training was held on 21 May 2025. Joined the events was students from Fazıoğlu Mahmut Bıçakçı Secondary School, in Sürmene-Çamburnu, Trabzon. The event aimed to raise awareness among secondary school students about marine pollution, with a particular focus on ghost nets and their impact on the Black Sea ecosystem.

The workshop began with a presentation by Prof. Dr. Hacer SAĞLAM, who introduced the students to the equipment and processes used in local fishing activities. This was followed by a session led by Prof. Dr. Coşkun ERÜZ, addressing the impact of marine litter—especially ghost nets—on the Black Sea ecosystem, along with strategies for mitigation. The presentation concluded with an engaging Q&A session and a discussion on collective actions to tackle these environmental issues led by Prof. Dr. Fatma TELLİ KARAKOÇ.

Following the training session, students visited the aquaculture facility, where they were introduced to key fish species native to the region. They then toured the biology laboratory to observe preserved marine organisms, encouraging greater appreciation and responsibility toward marine life and ecosystem preservation.

An interactive session followed, where students learned how fishing nets capture fish using educational fish toys from the LitOUTer project. They also practiced tying basic mariner knots—an activity designed to foster hands-on learning and spark interest in maritime skills.

The workshop culminated at the faculty’s beach, where students participated in a beach cleanup activity. They learned how to identify common marine litter and collected discarded fishing gear as part of the #Ghostbuster campaign, initiated by the BlackNETs project to raise awareness of ghost gear pollution.

This workshop was observed by representatives from the Interreg TESIM NEXT communication team, the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate for EU Affairs and the District National Education Directorate representatives.

 

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