MAPAMA has inaugurated at the CENEAM facilities in the Segovian town of Valsaín, the II Seminar “Protection of the marine environment: problem of marine litter”.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment (MAPAMA) has inaugurated today, at the CENEAM facilities in the Segovian town of Valsaín, the II Seminar “Protection of the marine environment: problem of marine litter”. This meeting forum was set up in 2016 with the participation of entities linked to the fishing sector, NGOs, associations of the plastics sector and representatives of different administrations and the scientific community to delve into aspects such as the role of the fishing sector, citizen science or the main sources of microplastics.

This second edition will address aspects related to land-based sources of marine litter such as agricultural waste or waste entries into the sea through rivers, with the aim of continuing to make progress in defining potential action strategies or possible future measures. Likewise, in collaboration with the Marine Litter Hub project, a collaboration framework will be established for the educational community, to seek an exchange of experiences that will result in new ideas and environmental education activities around marine litter.

The term “marine litter” includes “any persistent solid of non-natural origin that has been discarded, deposited or abandoned in marine and/or coastal environments”, including materials transported to the marine environment from land-based sources through rivers, runoff, sewerage or by the action of wind. Marine litter is not only an aesthetic problem, but in addition to producing a significant socio-economic impact, it threatens human health and safety, and has negative effects on marine organisms and habitats. The impact of gillnets or garbage ingestion can have negative consequences on the physical condition of marine species and even cause their death. The ingestion of microplastics can also lead to the introduction of hazardous chemicals into the food chain.

In a scenario in which marine litter has become a global threat to our seas and oceans, and in close collaboration with the administrations involved,the General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea of MAPAMA has drawn up a field monitoring programme, as well as a specific programme of measures that constitutes more than 25% of the programmes of measures of the marine strategies in Spain. In addition, the Ministry complies with the commitments made at the international level to fight against marine litter.