Slashing marine plastic pollution in mediterranean MPAs: from field data and knowledge to collective actions with the Plastic Busters MPAs project

THE PLASTIC BUSTERS MPAs IN A NUTSHELL

Plastic Busters MPAs is an Interreg Med funded project aiming to maintain biodiversity and preserve natural ecosystems in pelagic and coastal marine protected areas by consolidating Mediterranean efforts against marine litter. The project deploys the multidisciplinary strategy and common framework of action developed within the Plastic Busters initiative led by the University of Siena and the Mediterranean Sustainable Development Solutions Network. This initiative frames the priority actions needed to tackle marine litter in the Mediterranean and was labelled under the Union for the Mediterranean in 2016, gathering the political support of 43 Euro Mediterranean countries. Plastic Busters MPAs brings together 15 implementing partners and 17 associated partners from 8 countries, namely Albania, Cyprus, Croatia, France, Italy, Greece, Slovenia and Spain.

THE WORKSHOP’S AIM

The mutual learning workshop will feature and fully exploit the knowledge, know-how, experience and lessons learned obtained by the implementation of the Plastic Busters MPAs demos aiming to prevent and mitigate marine litter. The demos operationalized a set of different marine litter solutions, including the establishment of a derelict fishing gear management scheme, the creation of a SUPs-free HORECAs network, the promotion of best practices for the sustainable management of mussel farming nets, the setup of a reusable cup delivery system for beach bars, the development of a network of collection points for beverage containers, the adopt-a-beach scheme, etc. The workshop brings together two major groups of participants: (i) MPA managers that have central role to play in initiating the implementation of marine litter measures in their MPAs; (ii) NGOs and decision-makers at regional, national and local levels that not only are key actors for the development of marine litter measures, but also are instrumental in promoting replication and upscaling actions.

Organized by ARC- SCP/RAC, MIO ECSDE, and ISPRA