Abstract
During the last decade, measures to reduce pollution from fisheries have become a decisive topic and high on the political agenda. Commercial fisheries are a major source of marine microplastic pollution. Since fishing effort and technology are structured through quota allocation and fleet policy, fisheries management plays a central role in shaping both the scale and distribution of microplastic emissions. Within this governance framework, the destruction of harvest shares among vessel groups and fishing technologies is a key mechanism for balancing social and economic sustainability. Paired with strong policy goals to maintain a diverse fleet structure in fisheries-dependent areas, this framework has driven various technological adaptations in demersal fisheries, such as trawl, gillnets, Danish seine and long line. Different fishing methods contribute varying degrees of microplastic pollution due to differences in gear design, material composition, and seabed contact. This paper synthesises recent Norwegian data and international literature to assess governance and technological measures to reduce emissions. It is estimated that Norwegian demersal fisheries emit ∼200 tons of microplastics annually, dominated by Danish seine (46%) and trawl (29%). While replacing conventional nylon with biodegradable alternatives offers a promising reduction, cutting plastic emissions may also challenge existing management frameworks and the distribution of harvest shares among fishing technologies. An important question, therefore, is how plastic pollution can be integrated as a new dimension of sustainability within fisheries governance, allowing it to gain greater prominence in the global marine plastics discourse.