General Objective:

Reducing the impact of marine litter

Specific objectives:

• Reduce the amount of litter present in the sea.
• To increase knowledge about the nature, characteristics and ecotoxicological impact of plastic waste contained in marine litter collected.
• Identify, demonstrate and evaluate the possibilities of recovering plastic waste.
• Transfer the experience to other coastlines.
• Disseminate the results of the project.

Description:

The project will be broken down into 4 years and will establish logistics in the collection, recycling and obtaining of recycled products from the plastic fraction of marine litter. It will be an economically viable system that will be maintained thanks to the joint action of the fisheries sector and the plastics industry (processors and recyclers).

For this second phase of the project and after the experience obtained, one of the main objectives is the expansion of ports/guilds willing to cooperate in it both in the collection and in the training of other fishermen and in transfer activities. In addition, a specific sampling and characterization protocol will be developed in accordance with previous experience. Toxicological developments will be expanded in order to have more information on marine litter and its impact on species. Products manufactured on both a small and large scale will be obtained from collected marine litter. This will make it possible to analyse and demonstrate the loss of resources caused by marine litter and to see its valorisation as an economic activity, thus establishing a value chain. To this end, tests and technical-economic feasibility studies will also be carried out in a waste treatment plant.

This second phase is located in the areas of the Valencian Coast (Gandía), the Galician Coast (A Coruña) and the Canary Islands (El Hierro). In these ports, marine litter will be collected by the collaborating fishing vessels. An analysis will be carried out of the patterns, most frequent objects, their ecotoxicity and if there are differences between the different dates or fishing gear.

The project will allow the contribution of data to the official garbage monitoring program and a transfer and dissemination of project results will be carried out among the participating entities as well as to other coastal areas.

Results: Available on the Pleamar Program website.