COCONET SUMMER COURSE

COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea

Rabat, 8-13 september 2014

7. What can we do against marine litter?




EU Marine Strategy

Policies and Laws - MARPOL Annex V

Everybody

EU Marine Strategy




EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) establishes a framework within which EU Member States shall take action to achieve or maintain good environmental status (GES) of their marine waters by 2020

EU Marine Strategy




GES is based on 11 qualitative descriptors as listed in Annex I of the MSFD.

Descriptor 10 (D 10) concerns marine litter.

EU Marine Strategy




Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter (TSG ML) under the Working Group on GES

TSG ML considers how GES and environmental targets could be defined with the aim of preventing further inputs of litter to, and reducing its total amount in, the marine environment.




TSG ML focuses on:specification of monitoring methods through the development of monitoring protocols for litter in the different marine

EU Marine Strategy




TSG ML focuses on:

Consideration is given to monitoring strategies in general and associated costs.

Other priorities include the identification of sources of marine litter and a better understanding of the harm caused by marine litter.




Criteria 10.1 Characteristics of litter in the marine and coastal environment

(10.1.1)trends in the amount of litter washed ashore and/or deposited on coastlines, including analysis of its composition, spatial distribution and, where possible, source

EU Marine Strategy Criteria





(10.1.2)trends in the amount of litter in the water column (including floating at the surface) and deposited on the sea-floor, including analysis of its composition, spatial distribution and, where possible, source






(10.1.3)trends in the amount, distribution and, where possible, composition of microparticles (in particular microplastics)





Criteria 10.2 Impacts of litter on marine life

(10.2.1)trends in the amount and composition of litter ingested by marine animals (e.g. stomach analysis)





Criteria 10.2 Impacts of litter on marine life

(10.2.1)trends in the amount and composition of litter ingested by marine animals (e.g. stomach analysis)





“Marine Litter. Technical Recommendations for the Implementation of MSFD Requirements”

1) evaluation of the behaviour (floatability, density, effects of wind, biofouling, degradation rates) and factors affecting the fate of litter (weather, sea state, temperature-driven variations, slopes, canyons, bays, etc.) and the transport of litter;

EU Marine Strategy - Priorities





2) use of comprehensive models to define source and destination regions of litter (especially accumulation areas, permanent gyres, deep sea zones), estimate residence times, consider the average drift times and tran boundary transport to and from MSFD regions/subregions;






4) identification of sources for direct inputs of microparticles of litter;

5) establishment of the environmental impacts of microliter, in particular in relation to the potential physical and chemical impacts on wildlife, resources and the food chain;






6) evaluation of biological impacts (on metabolism, physiology, survival, reproductive performance and ultimately on populations or communities);

7) evaluation of the risk of the introduction of invasive non-indigenous species;

EU Marine Strategy





8) study of dose–response relationships in relation to the types and quantities of marine litter to enable science-based definitions of threshold levels for GES;

9) evaluation of direct costs of marine litter to the maritime industry, fishing industry, local authorities and governments and as impacts on ecosystems goods and services;






10) development of automated monitoring systems (ship-based cameras, microlitter quantification etc.) and impact indicators (aesthetic impact, effects on human health, and harm to the environment)

EU Marine Strategy





11) optimization of monitoring (standards/baselines, data management/quality assurance, extension of monitoring protocols to all MSFD regions/subregions)





EU Marine Strategy –Indicators and Impacts




MARPOL– Annex V

Dumping of rubbish at sea from ships has been prohibited under the international shipping regulation MARPOL Annex V.11 since 1990

A reduction of ship-derived plastic debris should therefore be expected, even if global use of plastics continues to increase



7. What can we do against marine litter?Actions

“International legislation to prevent ships from polluting the sea National law on compulsory use of fishing equipment with

biodegradable parts enabling animals to escape EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive EU Community Framework for cooperation in the field of accidental

or deliberate Marine Pollution Regional sea conventions National and Regional actions (ex. retrieval of nets) Awareness of citizens Education




Toward recycling society

Prevention

Recycling

Recovery

Disposal

Re-use

Waste hierarchy

• Moving waste management up the hierarchy

• Order of priorities• Best environmental outcome• Life cycle thinking



Challenges for the future

• Sustainable Packaging (guidelines for consumers, possible increase of recycling targets etc)

• Guidelines for the preparation, collection and recovery of agricultural plastic waste and ultimately provision of targets for the recycling and recovery of agricultural plastics

• Bioplastics and recycled plastic phased targets (taking into account design viability, environmental impacts and market feasibility)

• Research and innovation on the reduction of plastic waste (guidelines for best available techniques, strengthen eco-design etc) Rabat, 8-13 september 2014



Education, Back to long lasting items, Directives (GES),


Documents

COCONET SUMMER COURSE