Monitoring of marine litter in Romanian Black Sea region

1. Monitoring of marine litter in Romanian Black Sea region Mihaela MIREA CÂNDEA Anca GHEORGHE Angelica PAIU Marian PAIU Mare Nostrum NGO This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under GA No. 710566

2. Marine litter – a global problem Marine litter is any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. Why is marine litter a problem? • - it is a threat to wildlife and ecosystems: litter items kill or cause suffering to marine mammals, reptiles, fish and seabirds that are trapped in them or mistake them for food; • it is a threat to human health and livelihood: litter in the sea and on beaches can cause, among others serious injuries and damages; • it can cause bio-accumulation of pollutants and toxins; - it is long lived: a plastic bottle poses threats to sea life and people for hundreds of years; - it is difficult to track: it is almost impossible to follow the route and fate of a litter item. foto: www.marlisco.eu

3. Marine litter– in Mare Nostrum preoccupation • Starting with 1997, Mare Nostrum NGOinitiated information and awareness campaigns for tourists regarding the selective collection of waste on Romanian beaches • Litoral Curat (2005 – 2012) • Beach clean up • EcoROM Vadu (2012 – 2013) • CoastWatch (2005 – present) • MARine Litter in Europe Seas: Social AwarenesS and CO-Responsibility (MARLISCO); FP7 Programme - www.marlisco.eu • 2 underwater clean up campaigns in Vama Veche and Constanta

4. Monitoring of marine litter in Romania • The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires European Member States (MS) to develop strategies that should lead to programmes of measures to achieve or maintain Good Environmental Status (GES) in European Seas. As an essential step of this process, MS should establish monitoring programmes for assessment, enabling the state of the marine waters to be evaluated on a regular basis. • Final Report “Guidance on Monitoring of Marine Litter in European Seas” - the output of the work of the TSG-ML between 2012 and 2013. • The objective of such Guidance is to provide MS with recommendations and information needed to commence the monitoring of the MSFD Descriptor 10. • It describes specific protocols and considerations to collect, report and asses data on marine litter, in particular beach litter, floating litter, seafloor litter, litter in biota and microlitter; • Chapter 3 – Beach Litter: guidance to monitoring litter deposited on the beach (Indicator 10.1.1);

5. The proposed methodology implies the identification of 100 m long fixed section of beach covering the whole area between the water edges (where possible and safe) or from the strandline to the back of the beach. • 2 times/year– April and October • 8 sectors: Vama Veche, Saturn, Costinești, Eforie, Constanța, Mamaia Nord, Năvodari and Corbu • The litter collected is disposed of properly. Method used Saturn Vama Veche Eforie Costinești Corbu Mamaia Nord Năvodari Constanța

7. Categories of marine litter 2016-2018 *items *items

10. during each monitoring session were monitored 41 547 m2, representing approximately 1.50% of the total beach areas on the Romanian seaside; • Quantity in kilograms: • 2016 – 306 kg (400 kg of umbrella holders) • 2017 – 439 kg (processed wood and abandoned fishing nets on the beach being the heaviest) • 2018 – 375 kg (150 kg were waste from construction materials abandoned on the beach)

11. Mobilisation and Mutual Learning Workshop Discuss, Explore, Propose, Network Constanta, 17.01.2017 • Hot Topic - Pollution by human pressure with a special focus on marine litter • Triggering question - What actions should be taken by the community in order to reduce marine litter? • Methodology Used: WORLD CAFÉ • a simple methodology, effective, and flexible format for hosting large group dialogue. • 3 rounds of 15 minutes each • objectives of each round - to collect maximum ideas in short time, to make people to discuss and generate ideas • 5 most important ideas voted by each participant • the most voted ideas were categorize having in mind three lines of thought about marine litter: Priority, Feasibility challenges and Economic challenges. • 29 Participants • researchers and scientists, citizens, local policy makers, journalists, NGOs and CSOs

12. Priority • - 3 relevant actions that should be taken by the community in order to reduce marine litter: • identifying and monitoring of polluting sources • providing the infrastructure and innovative technologies for selective waste collection (land, marine) • involving the local beaches administration, volunteers and authorities. Economic challenges - all the participants analyzed the cost of the activities and grouped this based on the cost in low, medium and high costs • Feasibility challenges • - several actions that must be taken on short, medium or long time : • volunteering actions and environmental education in schools • waste management, which requiring an infrastructure for waste collection and collection points, with applying concrete methods for waste selective collection • development of new technologies, monitoring, identifying and treating polluting sources

13. SPILLOVER ACTIVITY Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) workshops:  discuss, explore, propose and network Marine Knowledge Sharing Platform for Federating Responsible Research and Innovation Communities – MARINA Creation of Guidelines and Good Practices for RRI   Exhibitions Mobilising policy to institutionalize RRI principles MARINA project will engage all the actors in order to share knowledge, including citizen’s vision and societal needs, in order to create a synergy between research and innovation and the environmental safeguard. www.marinaproject.eu

14. Consortium Coordinator: Fernando Ferri: fernando.ferri@irpps.cnr.it marina.pro@irpps.cnr.it CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE (CNR), Italy Project Partners

15. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! Follow MARINA project on: Mare Nostrum NGO Address: 16 Bogdan Vodă street, Constanţa 900613 Telephone/Fax: +40241/612422; +40341/407432 E-mail: office@marenostrum.ro Website: www.marenostrum.ro Blog: www.ongmarenostrum.wordpress.com Facebook:www.facebook.com/ongmarenostrum