Marine pollution is the result of harmful chemicals entering the ocean, polluted wastewaters, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, garbage from ships, and the spread of invasive organisms. A major source of marine pollution is related to plastics intentionally thrown from shore or boats, or are unintentionally carried by winds or streams.A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has revealed that there are now over 150 million tonnes of plastics in the oceans. That's about one tonne of plastics for every three tonnes of fish. If the trend continues, plastics will outweigh fish in the oceans by 2050.Pacific islands are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of marine litter, due to the particular value and sensitivity of their coastal environments.To discuss this issue and the tools that can be used in addressing marine litter and plastic pollution (awareness, clean-ups, audits, etc.), SPREP, through the SWAP project, delivered a two-hour virtual meeting on 6 April 2022.
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
Marine pollution results from harmful chemicals entering the ocean, contaminated wastewater, industrial, agricultural, and residential waste, garbage from ships, and the spread of invasive organisms. A major contributor to marine pollution is plastic waste, which is either intentionally discarded from shore or boats or unintentionally carried into the ocean by wind and water currents.A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation revealed that over 150 million tonnes of plastic now pollute the world's oceans—equivalent to approximately one tonne of plastic for every three tonnes of fish. If this trend continues, plastic is projected to outweigh fish in the oceans by 2050.Pacific island nations are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of marine litter due to the sensitivity and ecological importance of their coastal environments.To address this issue and explore tools for tackling marine litter and plastic pollution—such as awareness campaigns, clean-ups, and waste audits—SPREP, through the SWAP project, hosted a two-hour virtual meeting on 6 April 2022. The event also provided an opportunity to highlight the efforts of ten associations funded by SWAP, which organized clean-up activities and produced awareness videos for International Coastal Cleanup Day 2021.This report summarizes the key discussions and outcomes of the workshop.