Marine litter and debris is an increasing key area of concern for the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). Injury and fatality to marine life caused by ingestion of, or entanglement in, harmful marine debris is on the rise. Aesthetically, the Pacific Island beaches, often reliant on tourism are increasingly showing signs of marine litter washing ashore; from both ship based and land based sources. Ship based marine litter includes fishing lines and nets. Once abandoned or lost at sea, floating in the ocean and washing into the coast the nets fish indiscriminately and may trap protected and threatened species. Turtles, in particular, are vulnerable to trapping in ghost nets. Ships’ waste reception facilities are also not up to the required MARPOL standards in many pacific island ports and could contribute to illegal dumping of ships’ waste.
The third global conference for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) was held in Apia, Samoa in September 2014. The UNEP Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) provided support, through the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, for a waste minimization demonstration project in Samoa to demonstrate best practice measures for effective waste management and minimisation of marine debris. A brief overview of the work carried out under the project can be seen below.
The project is a partnership between the Government of Samoa, UNEP/ GPA and the GPML, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the communities and private sector in Apia. The project included four main components: community and media awareness; improved waste management in the ports of entry into Samoa in particular the Samoa Port and Samoa Airport; waste disposal facilities within the UNSIDS venue and the accommodation providers; and working with the communities to improve waste practices in Apia areas. This also included e.g. provision of litter booms in major contributory rivers and upscaling of waste through craft workshops.
More information about the project:
