Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) remains a growing issue of concern globally and gear-marking may be an important tool to combat ALDFG and its harmful impact. In response to a request by the Thirty-First Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI 31), FAO convened an Expert Consultation on the Marking of Fishing Gear in April 2016, resulting in the development of Draft Guidelines for the Application of a System on the Marking of Fishing Gear. At their 32nd Session in 2016, COFI encouraged FAO to conduct pilot projects related to ALDFG and gear marking in developing countries. The purpose of this project was to test means and methods of marking gillnets in accordance with FAO’s Draft Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear (‘the Draft Guidelines’) and explore the scope for a retrieval and recycling scheme. The pilot study was conducted in Indonesia. 