Tackling marine litter

Reports


Title: Operational guide for the clean-up of marine litter on the coastline
Responsible Partner: CEDRE
Date: Enero 2022
Download: link
Description: This guide addresses routine beach litter collection operations, including manual pick-up and mechanised clean-up, particularly on sedimentary substrates which are more prone to stranding and more likely to suffer deleterious impacts caused directly by cleaning operations, whether manual or mechanical. The guide briefly presents the elements that need to be known in order to understand how the shoreline functions, and how litter behaves in this dynamic environment.

 


Title: Caracterização dos fluxos de materiais de artes de pesca na Região Autónoma da Madeira (Pilot study on fishing-gear life cycle in Madeira)
Responsible Partner: DRAAC
Date: November 2021
Download: link
Description: To frame and guide the policies of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM) in this matter, the Regional Directorate of Environment and Climate Change (DRAAC), promoted the development of a detailed study to assess the flow of materials from fishing gear in the Region, identifying quantities, typologies, origins, and destinations of these products, which serves as basis for the present report (available in Portuguese only).

 


Title: Applicability of a modular basic ROV to detect marine litter in Galician shores: constraints and improvements
Responsible Partner: CETMAR
Date: October 2021
Download: link
Description: This report describes the performance and applicability of a basic modular ROV to detect marine litter in an area previously surveyed by trawling and from different types of boats in a wide range of depths, type of substrates and oceanographic conditions. Different sampling strategies were implemented according to the information that was intended to be obtained (location of marine litter hotspots or estimation of debris abundance along transects). In this report, the authors summarize the ROV’s main technical aspects (performance, tune-up, and different improvements implemented) as well as the results of the field tests and the methodologies applied in the study area. Moreover, limitations and constraints found are highlighted together with recommendations for future upgrading.

 


Title: Identification of litter accumulation sites and clean-up techniques on the French coastline
Responsible Partner: CEDRE
Date: September 2021
Download: link
Description: In 2020 as part of the Interreg Project CleanAtlantic, Cedre launched at a French level an online survey on macro-litter on the coastline, with a two-fold objective: (i) to map and characterise the main litter accumulation areas along the coastline and (ii) to review clean-up operations and good practices. The survey was distributed to public establishments, decentralised government services, local authorities and various other organisations such as non-governmental organisations or professional maritime associations. This report presents results obtained regarding survey respondents, accumulation areas identified and beach clean-up techniques in use on the French coastline.

 


Title: Pilot action aimed to implement a fishing for litter scheme with the engagement of artisanal fleets and shellfish gatherers operating in the Ria de Arousa (Galicia).
Responsible Partner: CETMAR
Date: September 2021
Download: link
Description: The objective of this pilot action was to implement a fishing for litter scheme with the engagement of artisanal fleets and shellfish gatherers operating in the Ria de Arousa. It also aims to gain knowledge on key issues leading to successful involvement of coastal communities in tackling marine litter. In addition a collaboration was established with the Galician Institute of Aquaculture (IGAFA), also located in the same ria, whose teachers and students carried out marine litter removal actions during their training activities In this report we describe the area of study, the different steps to set up the pilot action and its main results and conclusions.


Title: Pilot action to investigate the presence of seafloor litter in the Ria of Vigo by using a modified trawling fishing gear coupled with of a video recording system
Responsible Partner: CETMAR
Date: September 2021
Download: link
Description: The objective of this pilot action was to investigate the presence of seafloor litter in the Ria de Vigo by using a modified trawling fishing gear specifically developed to retrieve seafloor litter avoiding the capture of marine organisms. Moreover, the applicability of a low-cost filming system coupled to the gear was also tested in terms of recording the entrance of residues and the escape of fish species. Here we describe the equipment, the operational conditions and the collaborations established with sea professionals to carry out the sampling and removal of residues, the protocol employed to characterize the retrieved marine litter and the main results achieved. A video was also produced in order to illustrate the pilot action and for awareness raising purposes.

 


Title: Reducing ALDFG
Responsible Partner: CEFAS
Date: August 2020
Download: link
Description: Case study of the removal of ALDFG in the UK describing operational protocols, equipment and data management as well as costs and results of their activities.

 

Booklets


Title: “Fishing For Litter”: A selection of resources based on the CleanAtlantic Knowledge Tool.
Responsible Partner: CETMAR
Date: September 2021
Download: link
Description: Based on the CleanAtlantic Knowledge Tool, this boolklet includes a criterion-guided selection of resources dealing with Fishing For Litter (F4L) activities. These resources were generated by expert organisations and research projects working in the field of marine litter. In this booklet, resources are listed in chronological order (most recent resources appear first) and grouped into 8 different categories according to resource types.

 


Title: “Abandoned, Lost or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear”: A selection of resources taken from the CleanAtlantic Knowledge Tool
Responsible Partner: CETMAR
Date: September 2021
Download: link
Description: Based on the CleanAtlantic Knowledge Tool, this boolklet includes a criterion-guided selection of resources dealing with  Abandoned, Lost or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG). These resources were generated by expert organisations and research projects working in the field of marine litter. In this booklet, resources are listed in chronological order (most recent resources appear first) and grouped into 8 different categories according to resource types.

 


Title: “Waste prevention and management from fishing, aquaculture and ports”: A selection of resources based on the CleanAtlantic Knowledge Tool
Responsible Partner: CETMAR
Date: September 2021
Download: link
Description: Based on the CleanAtlantic Knowledge Tool, this boolklet includes a criterion-guided selection of resources dealing with Waste prevention and management from fishing, aquaculture and ports. These resources were generated by expert organisations and research projects working in the field of marine litter. In this booklet, resources are listed in chronological order (most recent resources appear first) and grouped into 8 different categories according to resource types.