On February 19, 2025, seven members of the REVFIN team (Max Ehleben, Thomas Potempa, Harald Rau, Welf Graf v. Luxburg-Marten, Sofie Hoang, Julia Tetzner, and Nina Piede) traveled to Vietnam for the 2nd International Conference. This year’s conference, organized in collaboration with Kien Giang University (KGU), comprised three conference days on Phu Quoc Island and two additional days on the mainland in Rach Gia. After spending a day in Ho Chi Minh City, our German team continued on to Phu Quoc. Following some final on-site preparations, the entire conference team gathered for a welcome dinner on February 23. In addition to representatives from Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences and Kien Giang University, who organized the event, participants included representatives from Nha Trang University (NTU), Ha Long University (HLU), and Vietnamese practice partners RIMF, STP Group, VINATUNA, and ICAFIS. For some, it was a first introduction; for others, a happy reunion – yet for all, it provided motivation and optimism for the productive days ahead.
The first day of the conference, February 24, 2025, began with a welcome speech and an overview of the project’s status from the German side. This was followed by presentations from all partners involved in the fisheries survey, showcasing their findings and interpretations. After a short break, research results regarding the processing of Vietnamese fishing gear at Ostfalia University in Wolfsburg were presented. Participants of the Train-the-Trainer course, who had actively taken part in the processing steps, then shared their experiences. The afternoon was dedicated to discussions about the implementation of training courses at Vietnamese universities. The day concluded with an inspiring presentation by two WWF representatives, whose participation we highly appreciated, on initiatives aimed at reducing plastic waste in Vietnam.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025, began with a group photo session on the beach. After being refreshed by the sea breeze, the morning focused on the work packages concerning Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) and demonstration centers. Both topics were discussed from German and Vietnamese perspectives. The second day of the conference also addressed media-related topics, including social media activities, the documentary film project, and the development of a geo-tagging app. After a slightly delayed lunch break, participants enjoyed a cultural program: traveling via one of the world’s longest cable cars to the smaller islands near Phu Quoc. This experience offered a vivid impression of how closely Vietnam’s hardworking fishing industry and tourist paradises coexist.
On the third day, February 26, 2025, the conference welcomed additional representatives from various Vietnamese ministries and organizations. The day began with another official welcome session, and key topics from the previous days, such as the BPGs and findings from the fisheries survey, were revisited. In addition to the fisheries survey, results from a student survey on environmental challenges and corresponding coping strategies were presented. The third day concluded with an open discussion round.
Following the third conference day, we bid farewell to most partners, except for KGU representatives, with whom we continued to Rach Gia by ferry on the fourth day. There, we visited various recycling facilities to gain insights into waste separation and recycling processes, as well as the buying and selling of fishing nets within Kien Giang Province. After a shared evening that included welcoming some students who had participated in last summer’s training course in Germany, the fifth and final conference day was dedicated to a visit to KGU. Discussions centered around the current status and future plans for establishing the demonstration center at KGU, including a tour of the proposed facilities. Additionally, we gained insights into university-led research on the aging of fishing nets and engaged in a personal exchange with the KGU rector to define upcoming goals and tasks.
After five successful conference days, we returned to Ho Chi Minh City, where our paths diverged.
On March 2, 2025, Max, Julia, and Sofie flew to Nha Trang, where they were welcomed at the airport by representatives from NTU. They immediately toured NTU’s “Aquaculture Wetlab” to observe fishing nets being tested both on rooftops and in water. This visit also included a tour of a farming site located at a river mouth leading into the open sea, where the severe extent of marine pollution became evident, as large accumulations of plastic waste underscored the environmental issues caused by plastic pollution.
After a brief break in Nha Trang, we visited a net manufacturer who demonstrated the production processes for nets made from HDPE and PA6. This provided valuable insights into net manufacturing and sales. We learned that mesh sizes and material properties can be flexibly customized to meet client demands, and that recycled nets are already being processed and resold – though primarily for agricultural rather than aquaculture use, due to their diminished properties.
On March 3, 2025, we visited NTU, where a project meeting was held to review the current project status and discuss future plans. We also toured the building designated to host the future demonstration center.
Following a successful visit to Nha Trang University, we traveled on March 4, 2025, to Ha Long, where we were warmly received by representatives of HLU. Together, we visited two companies within a local craft village specializing in plastic recycling, gaining valuable insights into the current state and processes of PE and PP recycling in Vietnam. As with previous university visits, we inspected research facilities related to fishing net aging and visited the future demonstration center.
On March 5, 2025, HLU students guided us through a cultural program. The evening ended with a delightful dinner attended by HLU partners, including the Vice President and staff from the Finance and International Departments.
Excursions in Ninh Binh took place on March 6 and 7, 2025.
Finally, on March 7, we continued our journey to Hanoi, from where we departed for Germany on March 8, 2025.
