Block 3. MEDITERRANEAN REGION SESSION I
Coordinated by SPC/RAC
The goal of the session was:
- To give information on PlasticBusters MPAs, is an Interreg Med funded project, aiming to contribute to maintaining biodiversity and preserving natural ecosystems in pelagic and coastal protected areas.
- The project covers the whole management cycle of marine litter, from monitoring and assessment, to prevention and mitigation.
Chairperson:
- Magali Outters - SCP/RAC
Speakers:
- The Plastic Busters MPAs in a nutshell and first outcomes - Cristina Fossi - University of Siena
- Novel approach on marine litter impacts on biota through Plastic Busters MPAs.- Cristina Panti – University of Siena
- Prevention of land-based marine litter affecting MPAs - Ignasi Mateo - SCP/RAC
- Enhancing knowledge on marine litter distribution, patterns, trends and implications for biota in Mediterranean MPAs.- Salud Deudero - Spanish Oceanographic Institute
- Marine litter management: Focus on National Park of Cabrera. Maria Francesca López Cortès - Director of the National Park of Cabrera, Government of the Balearic islands
Objective
The Spanish Plastic Busters MPAs Info Day took place back to back with MARLICE 2019 (International Forum on Marine Litter and Circular Economy), a larger marine litter event that brought different marine litter related projects together and major European and Mediterranean stakeholders. More than 200 participants attended this three-days event (from 10 to 12 April).
The session focused on Plastic Busters MPAs project, was chaired by Magali Outters from ARC-SCP/RAC and introduced the project to later on focus on activities in Spain conducted by Plastic Busters MPAs partners.
The objectives of the Spanish Plastic Busters MPAs Info Day were:
- To inform about the project activities
- Engage marine litter community within the project
- Create synergies with other related projects
- To showcase specific marine litter activities in the country by project partners
Session content
Several presentations were delivered by different member of the project team:
· Cristina Fossi from the University of Siena in her presentation ‘The Plastic Busters MPAs in a nutshell and first outcomes’ introduced the background, the partners, the main lines of action of the different WP and the main project features including whole management cycle of marine litter, structure of the consortium, harmonized diagnosis, risk assessment, biodiversity monitoring in multiple species, step to step methodological guidelines to implement specific measures in MPAs and the transferring to the South Med coast.
· Cristina Panti from the University of Siena in her presentation ‘Novel approach on marine litter impacts on biota through Plastic Busters MPAs’ introduced the novelty of the project in the scientific phase in relation of the selection of species as bioindicators for monitoring marine litter ingestion and impacts on Mediterranean Biodiversity, the effects of microplastic ingestion in fish and invertebrate species and the monitoring marine litter ingestion and impacts in endangered species (stranded organisms).
· Salud Deudero from the Spanish Oceanographic Institute (IEO) introduced the work done by one of the Spanish partner of the project. Her presentation ‘Enhancing knowledge on marine litter distribution, patterns, trends and implications for biota in Mediterranean MPAs’ explained the experience of the IEO in relation with the ML, specifically on the impacts in the biota.
· Ignasi Mateo from ARC-SCP/RAC introduced the work done by the Interreg Med Project ACT4LITTER, which provides a suitable ground for Plastic Busters MPAs. His presentation ‘Prevention of land-based marine litter affecting MPAs’ focused on concrete solutions to prevent and mitigate the impacts of marine litter.
· Maria Francesca López, director of the National Park of Cabrera explained the situation of this MPA in relation to ML. Her presentation ‘Marine litter management: Focus on National Park of Cabrera’ detailed the rich marine ecosystem of the archipelago, its history, natural values and the waste management in the MPA and the ML impacts.
Exchange with the audience
The audience of the event was wide in terms of geographical scope and background (the list of participants can be found in Annex IV). After the project team presentations Magali Outters gave the floor to the audience for questions and comments.
Gloria Garcia from the Cabo de Gata regional Park explained her very positive experience with ACT4LITTER project and expressed the interest of the park to beneficiate from the Plastic BustersMPAs projectin order to give continuity to the work initiated with ACT4LITTER.
Pilar Fernández from the UNED(Spanish on-line University)explained her concern about the toxics components or additives in micro and nano plastic,the difficulty of collecting and analyzingthis material and the problem her organization face in relation with tracers / samples. The project team offered support and showed willingness to collaborate in collecting and analyzing samples.
Pedro Fernández from SCP/RAC asked about the origin of latex ML waste found in the south of Cabrera Island. IEO provided a comprehensive explanation on the origins and evolution of marine litter in the archipelago. Indeed the amounts and composition greatly vary according the sea conditions and seasonal pressures.
In addition, after lunch break, the Mediterranean session II-block 3 ‘Marine litter knowledge and tools in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)’, coordinated by the horizontal PANACeA Project, introduced the modular Interreg Med project initiatives tackling Marine Litter in the Mediterranean through three round tables. Participation of Plastic BustersMPAs partners (Magali Outters and Ignasi Mateo from ARC-SCP RAC, François Galgani from IFREMER, Cristina Fossi from University of Siennaand Mª Francesca López from National Park of Cabrera (Govern Illes Balears), allowed attendants of the session to have a wide insight on the main linesof action of Plastic Busters MPAs project and also exchange experiences with other related projects.