Activity Report

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SWAP MARINE LITTER WORKSHOP

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.