The OSPAR Commission is set to adopt a regional action plan for the prevention and management of marine litter in the North-East Atlantic.
In 2010, OSPAR Ministers found that quantities of litter in many areas of the North-East Atlantic were “unacceptable” and so committed to continue to develop reduction measures and targets.
The Action Plan has been developed with the aim of following up on OSPAR Ministers commitments and of implementing the objective of the North-East Atlantic Environment Strategy “to substantially reduce marine litter in the OSPAR maritime area to levels where properties and quantities do not cause harm to the marine environment”.
It will focus on the development of regionally coordinated reduction/operational targets, specific sources and items of marine litter, the development of regional measures, monitoring and assessment, and cooperation with other relevant regional and international organisations.
OSPAR says the Plan will support the Rio+20 global commitment to “take action to, by 2025, based on collected scientific data, achieve significant reductions in marine debris to prevent harm to the coastal and marine environment”.
The Commission is set to finalise the plan shortly.
