RoundGoby partners gather in Poland for third project partner meeting

26 June 2025

RoundGoby partners gathered in Władysławowo, a port city in the north of Poland, for the third project partner meeting.

On 24 June 2025, RoundGoby partners gathered in Władysławowo, a port city in the north of Poland, for the third project partner meeting. A particular focus was on gathering practical feedback from small fishers as new fishing material was tested. The meeting was successful, and learnings will be valuable as we plan for the second half of the project.

The first day of the meeting took partners to the Port of Władysławowo, one of Poland’s largest and busiest fishing ports. There, they were welcomed by RoundGoby partner Szkuner Sp. z o.o., a company with deep roots in the region’s fisheries. Szkuner not only operates five fishing vessels but also processes fish products, making it a key player in the local blue economy and a vital link between sea and market.

One of the main goals of the gathering was to collect feedback on the multipods, and other passive fishing gear, selected for round goby trials. This input is crucial to the project’s success because although round gobies are invasive, they have adapted well to the Baltic Sea, and that makes them surprisingly difficult to catch.

RoundGoby partners checking out the fishing gear

Windy weather aside, the tone was warm and collaborative as local fishers, who know these waters best, gave their feedback on the gear. Their involvement reflects another one of the project’s core goals: making coastal communities and small-scale fishers more resilient through practical, locally informed solutions. At the same time, the aim is to keep the environmental impact as low as possible.

During the trials, valuable feedback about gear performance, usability, and selection was gathered. This will later be used to adapt and improve the gear for broader use in the Baltic Sea and make round goby fishing both more effective and more sustainable.

This initiative is part of a wider test fishing programme underway in Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and Latvia. It lays the groundwork for scaling up sustainable techniques and building new cross-border collaborations.

A warm thanks goes to Grazyna Radtke and her colleagues at the Port and the Gdynia Maritime University for co-organising the meeting, and to the fishers who took time to share their knowledge.

Follow the RoundGoby project for more updates on gear innovation, test fishing results, and new ways to support small-scale fisheries across the Baltic Sea.